A Flashback to the Past: The Lightning Thief
by Sid-Nilos
Summary: The demigods, new and old, are stuck in one room that is frozen in time. The only way to get back to reality is to read the PJO series, not that they're complaining . See what happens when the campers get a look into Percy Jackson's head.
1. Chapter 1: Time Freezes

**Hello peoples! This is the first fanfic that I've ever posted so don't hate me if it's bad. Tell me what ya think.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I wish that I did, I don't own PJO or HoO. RR has the luck to be it's writer and owner.**

Annabeth was sitting in one of the living areas of the big house reading. The room was a fair size with plenty of mismatched couches and chairs. The walls were a calming blue colour and a window looked out across camp showing everyone going from around doing their daily activities. It was lightly snowing, giving a whole christmasy feeling to the place.

Because Christmas was in 2 days, there was a tree in the corner that was decorated spectacularly. As was the room, with lights, garland, and little toy figures. A fire burned in the fire place and a tray of cookies sat on a side-table that was next to the couch that Annabeth was on.

The book she was reading was, of course, about architecture. Annabeth was so enthralled that she didn't at first notice the nine people that appeared before her. She probably wouldn't have noticed at all had Nico not landed on a table went he arrived.

Annabeth looked up startled. "When did you guys get here?"

"About a second ago," Nico stood up, rubbing his arm.

"Ookay…" Annabeth looked around with a question mark on her face.

"I'm so confused…" Rachel said. "One minute I'm in the cave painting and the next I'm here."

"Yeah, I was climbing up the rock wall and now I'm not." Jason said.

Just as Annabeth was about to say go into some logical explanation, a letter appeared on the table in the middle of the room. As if on cue, everyone backed up and sat down somewhere.

"Whoa!" Leo shook his head. "Why did I just sit down?"

Piper picked up the letter. "It's addressed to all of us. It says "Dear Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, Jason, Leo, Piper, Travis, Connor, Rachel, and Clarisse."

"Hey, why am I last?" Clarisse complained.

"Does it really matter? Open it Piper." Thalia said, relaxing a bit. "And I guess I should say hi. It's been a while."

"Thalia!" Annabeth cried and got up to hug her friend.

"How are you doing, Sis?" Jason asked.

"Not bad. Sure hope Lady Artemis doesn't think I just ran off…" Thalia mused.

"Well, some sort of magic is obviously at work here, so I'm guessing she knows where you are." Annabeth said. "What does the letter say, Piper?"

Piper cleared her throat and started:

"_Dear Demigods,_

_I am sure you are all very confused right now. But, to put it simply, there is something you need to read. Well, I guess need isn't the right word. Perhaps should. You should read these. I have discovered some books written about your friend, Percy Jackson. They are about his adventures from the time he found out he was a demigod to the present. Most of you will be in these books, so you will know parts of what happened, but these books are in Percy's perspective. You'll get a look into his mind, and Piper, Leo, and Jason will get to learn what made him so important. And don't worry about people worrying where you are. Time will be frozen from the time you start reading the books until the time that you finish. There are 5 books. The first will appear once you are done reading this and the rest will come in time. Happy reading!_

_From,_

_Sid-Nilos_

A book appeared on the table and everyone stared at it apprehensively.

"Should we read it?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think we have a choice," Annabeth replied. "Time is frozen until we finish all five books. Plus, this will be cool. I for one want to read them."

"I do too. That way we can finally see find out what happened to Percy and what he's all about." Leo seconded.

Clarisse grinned evilly. "I can hear about the punk getting pulverized. I'm in!"

"Then let's read!" The Stolls said together.

"Who wants to read fist?" Jason asked the room.

"I will," Annabeth answered. She picked the book up and got comfortable on the chouch. She snorted. "The title is 'The Lightning Thief.' How original"

All of the campers who knew what had happened on Percy's first quest laughed while the others just looked confused.

"We should read the synopsis first," Piper suggested. Annabeth turned it over and read it to herself.

"Na, could be a spoiler for you guys," She said. "Here we go."

**Yes, I know, that was short. But it's only the first chapter. If you review, you'll get more. Happy reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Vaporize Math Teacher

**Hello again! So, I have another chapter for you all. I hope it's okay. Thank you to those who reviewed an/or added this story to their alerts or favs. It makes me happy.**

**Disclaimer: I guess I must say this. I do not own the PJO or HoO series. There RR. Happy?**

"Wait!" Connor yelled. "I just realized something!"

"What?" Annabeth scowled.

"It's in Percy's point of view right?"

"Yeah. So…"

"That means we get to hear EVERYTHING he thinks. Everything." Connor smiled micheviously at Annabeth who turned bright red.

"Yes!" Travis joined in.

"Oh this'll be good." Nico rubbed his hands together.

"Moving on," Thalia motioned at Annabeth to start reading.

Chapter 1: **I Accidently Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher **

"Oh, Percy. How could you?" Travis asked feigning surprise.

"**Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood."**

"None of us do Perce," Nico said.

"I don't know, I can't imagine a life not being one." Clarisse added.

**If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: **

"Gasp! He's giving advice! What has the world come to?" Thalia grinned.

**close this book right** **now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal** **life.**

"That won't work to well, punk." Clarisse smirked.

"Yeah, the monsters will still sniff you out. They'll smell you, find you and KILL you!" Connor said dramatically.

Everyone stared at him.

"What?"

**Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, ****nasty ways.**

"Too true." Someone muttered amid head nodding's.

**If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great. Read on. I envy you ****for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.**

**But if you recognize yourself in these pages—if you feel something stirring inside—stop ****reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before **_**they **_**sense it too, and they'll come for you.**

"You know, that advice is pretty good." Rachel said. "For Percy."

"Wow, you guys think so highly of him." Piper said sarcastically.

"Don't question us until you really know him." Nico answered.

**Don't say I didn't warn you.**

"You didn't warn me!" Leo, Travis, and Connor said together.

**My name is Percy Jackson.**

"No it's not, Annabeth." Connor told her.

Annabeth glared at him.

**I'm twelve years old. Until a **_**few **_**months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a** **private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.**

"Key word: Until." Jason spoke for the first time.

**Am I a troubled kid?**

"Yes you are, Percy. Yes you are." Nico said to the book.

"You guys are sooo nice." Piper said.

**Yeah. You could say that.**

"See, he agrees with us." Nico told her.

**I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going** **bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan— twenty-eight mental case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to** **look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.**

"Torture much!" Thalia exclaimed.

Annabeth snorted as she read the next line.

**I know—it sounds like torture.**

"Great minds think alike." Thalia started. "…nevermind."

**Most Yancy field trips were.**

**But Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher, was leading this trip, so I had hopes.**

**Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a** **scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee. You wouldn't think** **he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had this** **awesome collection of Roman armor and weapons, so he was the only teacher whose class didn't** **put me to sleep.**

"Really? I fall asleep in every class. Even when it's Chiron teaching." Nico said.

"Wait, that dude is Chiron?" Leo asked.

"Ummm, no." Nico replied, not wanting to spoil it.

"Is it, Nico?" Piper charmspoke.

"Yes," he said against his will.

"Ha, knew it." Leo celebrated.

**I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble.**

"Like that's gonna happen," Annabeth smiled.

**Boy, was I wrong.**

**See, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to ****the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming for** **the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway. **

Everyone laughed.

"What do you think he was aiming for?" Jason thought aloud.

"Who knows?" Annabeth replied.

"More importantly," Connor spoke.

"Why was he aiming for anything in the first place?" Travis finished.

"Oh my gods! The twins are asked why someone was messing around with a cannon!" Thalia gasped.

**And before that, at my fourth-grade school, ****when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sort of hit the wrong** **lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim. And the time before that... Well, you** **get the idea.**

"No we don't Percy, go on." Nico grinned.

**This trip, I was determined to be good.**

**All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded kleptomaniac ****girl, hitting my best friend Grover in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and ketchup sandwich.**

"Peanut butter and ketchup?" Leo asked.

"That's just gross." Piper gagged

"Tell me about," Rachel finished.

**Grover was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've ****been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a** **wispy beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled. **

"Great way to describe your best friend, Perce." Annabeth said. "Real nice."

**He had a note excusing him from PE ****for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny,** **like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was** **enchilada day in the cafeteria.**

"Way to blow your cover, Goat Boy." Clarisse exclaimed.

"Grover does love Enchilada's…"

**Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, ****and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation. **

"I wonder what he did this time?" Nico mused.

**The** **headmaster had threatened me with death by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing,** **or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.**

"Mildly entertaining? What qualifies as mildly entertaining?" Connor asked.

"Cause we could easily give you entertaining," Travis said.

"Stay away from my cabin's landmines!" Clarisse growled at them.

They pouted.

**"I'm going to kill her," I mumbled.**

**Grover tried to calm me down. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."**

**He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch.**

**"That's it." I started to get up, but Grover pulled me back to my seat.**

**"You're already on probation," he reminded me. "You know who'll get blamed if anything ****happens."**

"Oh please Grover. Percy gets blamed for everything no matter where he is." Annabeth laughed. "Hence, the plot of this book."

"You know, I was still a tree when this happened. This will be a good learning experience to see what I missed." Thalia realized.

"You were a tree?" Leo and Jason asked at the same time.

"Percy will probably mention it somewhere. Annabeth, read on."

**Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there. In-school ****suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.**

"Oooh, suspense." Travis said darkly.

Nico pushed him off his chair.

**Mr. Brunner led the museum tour.**

**He rode up front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble ****statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery.**

**It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.**

"It blows my mind too," Nico commented.

"It's most likely older than that, Nico." Annabeth stated.

'Wow' Nico mouthed.

**He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top, and ****started telling us how it was a grave marker, a **_**stele, **_**for a girl about our age. He told us about the** **carvings on the sides. I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, **

"He actually thought it was interesting…wow, good job, Percy." Annabeth nodded.

**but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.**

**Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket,** **even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your** **locker. She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a** **nervous breakdown.**

"Nervous breakdown my arse…" Annabeth muttered.

"Annabeth! Language!" Connor gasped, feigning shock.

**From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn. She ****would point her crooked finger at me and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and I knew I was going** **to get after-school detention for a month.**

**One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight, **

"Ughh, sounds horrible." Leo grumbled.

"Wait…is she…?" Nico looked at Annabeth.

"Yup."

"Oh, this'll be good."

**I told** **Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, "You're** **absolutely right."**

"Wow, that blew his cover worse than the enchilada thing." Jason noted.

"Yeah, Grover isn't exactly subtle." Thalia nodded. "But he has a great heart."

**Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.**

**Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the stele, and I turned ****around and said, "Will you **_**shut up**_**?"**.

**It came out louder than I meant it to.**

"Opps." Travis said sweetly.

"Your bad." Connor said the same way.

**The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner stopped his story.**

**"Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"**

**My face was totally red. I said, "No, sir."**

**Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this ****picture represents?"**

**I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. "That's ****Kronos eating his kids, right?"**

"It always seems to be that picture, doesn't it?" Clarisse grunted.

"Yeah…it does." Annabeth replied.

**"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied. "And he **_**did **_**this because ..."**

**"Well..." I racked my brain to remember. "Kronos was the king god, and—"**

"Really, Percy? God?" Annabeth tutted. But she had a sad smile on her face. She missed Percy and his stupidity.

**"God?" Mr. Brunner asked.**

"See?"

**"Titan," I corrected myself. "And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, ****Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead.**

"How exactly did Kronos not realize that he was eating a rock?" Piper asked.

"Well, he just swallowed his kids whole. By then he had already eaten 5…I guess he just too confident."

"That still makes no sense to me." Travis shook his head. "How do you swallow a baby whole?"

"Why don't you just keep reading, Annabeth." Thalia interrupted.

**And** **later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—"**

**"Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me.**

**"—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans," I continued, "and the ****gods won."**

"Wow, only Percy could downgrade that much war and violence into 4 sentences." Nico said, amazed.

"That's the punk for you," Clarrise agreed.

**Some snickers from the group.**

**Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life.**

"Well, we are." The group said all at once then burst out laughing.

**Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"**

**"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, ****does this matter in real life?"**

"Busted!" the Stolls shouted.

**"Busted," Grover muttered.**

"Oh no! We think like a goat," Connor said stricken.

"Save us!" Travis cried.

**"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair.**

**At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying ****anything wrong. He had radar ears.**

"More like a horse's ears."

"Don't forget the tail!"

**I thought about his question, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."**

**"I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed. "Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed ****feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children,** **who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in** **the Titan's stomach. **

"I really don't get that either. How could Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, and Demeter all fit in his stomach, much less grow up in there?" Rachel questioned.

"Let's not try to answer this again. It was disturbing enough the first time." Thalia pleaded.

"You know, that gives me an idea…" Travis started.

"Do share…" Connor leaned in.

"Annabeth! Keep readin!" Piper yelled.

**The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and ****scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"**

"Such a happy note." Jason snorted. "Great job Chiron."

**The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and** **acting like doofuses.**

"That because guys are doofuses." Thalia reasoned.

"Hey!" Every guy in the room exclaimed.

"I don't think Doofuses is even a real word…" Annabeth mused.

**Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Mr. Jackson."**

**I knew that was coming.**

**I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. "Sir?"**

**Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a** **thousand years old and had seen everything.**

"Older than that and not everything." Annabeth said automatically.

"Annabeth," Piper said.

"Yes?"

"You're talking to a book."

"Oh…right."

**"You must learn the answer to my question," Mr. Brunner told me.**

**"About the Titans?"**

**"About real life. And how your studies apply to it."**

**"Oh."**

**"What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will** **accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."**

"Us too, Percy. We expect the best from you too." The Stolls said in sing-song voices.

**I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard.**

"It was for the best, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said sadly.

**I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman** **armor and shouted: "What ho!'" and challenged us, sword-point against chalk, to run to the board** **and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever **_**lived, **_**and their mother, and what god** **they worshipped.**

"Is that even possible to do?" Thalia asked.

"Well, for Percy, no." Annabeth reasoned.

**But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact ****that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C— in my life.**

**No—he didn't expect me to be **_**as good; **_**he expected me to be **_**better. **_**And I just couldn't learn all** **those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.**

"I know!" Nico exclaimed. "It's really hard!"

**I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the****stele, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.**

"He probably had."

**The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along** **Fifth Avenue.**

**Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city. I ****figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York** **state had been weird since Christmas. We'd had massive snow storms, flooding, wildfires from** **lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in.**

"What's dad mad about this time?" Jason wondered.

"You'll find out soon enough." Thalia said mysteriously.

**Nobody else seemed to notice. Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with lunchable ****crackers. Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, and, of course,** **Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.**

Everyone turned to look at Connor and Travis who were trying to look innocent.

"What?"

"Yeah, not every klepto in the city is our sister."

**Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others. We thought that maybe if** **we did that, everybody wouldn't know we were from **_**that **_**school—the school for loser freaks who** **couldn't make it elsewhere.**

**"Detention?" Grover asked.**

**"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a ****genius."**

"Well, we knew that already, Perce." Thalia nodded.

"He's not that bad, Thals" Annabeth said quietly.

"You're the one who calls him Seaweed Brain."

Annabeth didn't answer.

**Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some ****deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"**

Everyone burst out laughing.

"The next time someone wants some deep thoughts from me, I'm gonna ask them for an apple." Leo told them.

**I didn't have much of an appetite, so I let him take it.**

**I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's ****apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I** **wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home. She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be** **disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder even though this was my sixth school in six years and I was probably going to be kicked out again.**

"Wow, that's more than most demigods," Clarrise said.

Everyone jumped. She had been so quiet that they had forgotten that she was there.

"What? There's no action. I'm bored. Don't' got much to say."

They all stared for a sec before Annabeth went back to reading.

**I wouldn't** **be able to stand that sad look she'd give me.**

**Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while ****he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like** **a motorized cafe table.**

"I want one!" Leo yelled.

…

"He was eating celery…You have no idea how weird the picture that just popped into my head looks like right now." Thalia laughed.

**I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ****ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten** **lunch in Grover's lap.**

"Stupid girl," Annabeth said through gritted teeth.

"Poor Grover," Piper added.

**"Oops." She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody** **had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.**

"Eww!" the room squealed.

**I tried to stay cool. The school counselor had told me a million times, "Count to ten, get ****control of your temper." **

"Something tells me that's not going to work."

**But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.**

**I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the ****fountain, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"**

"Finally, some action." Clarisse said, sitting forward.

**Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.**

Nico laughed evilly.

**Some of the kids were whispering: "Did you see—"**

**"—the water—"**

**"—like it grabbed her—"**

"Really?" Leo asked.

"Yup," Annabeth answered.

"That's pretty cool," Jason acknowledged.

**I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.**

**As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt** **at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her** **yes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. "Now, honey—"**

Nico laughed again and everyone shifted away from him.

**"I know," I grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."**

"No Percy! Never guess your punishment," Connor shook his head.

**That wasn't the right thing to say.**

"Told ya."

**"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.**

**"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. **_**I **_**pushed her."**

"That was brave," Piper said.

**I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared ****Grover to death.**

**She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled.**

"Wimp," Clarisse laughed.

"Shut up, Clarisse." Annabeth snapped.

**"I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.**

**"But—"**

**"You—**_**will**_**—stay—here."**

**Grover looked at me desperately.**

**"It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."**

**"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "**_**Now**_**."**

"Why does she keep calling him 'honey'?" Rachel asked.

"She's weird that way." Nico grinned.

"You know who this is?"

"Maybe…"

**Nancy Bobofit smirked.**

**I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare. Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't** **there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on.**

**How'd she get there so fast?**

"Because she's EVIL" Connor sang.

**I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I** **know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the** **blank place behind it. The school counselor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain** **misinterpreting things.**

**I wasn't so sure.**

"Neither are we, Perce. Neither are we." Thalia said

"Thalia, now you're talking to the book." Jason noted.

"…right."

**I went after Mrs. Dodds.**

**Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes ****between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going on, but Mr.** **Brunner was absorbed in his novel.**

"Great job, Chiron. You go there to instruct him and you let him walk into a mostly empty museum, with the monster, alone." Thalia shook her head.

"You're doing it again."

"Oh, whatever."

**I looked back up. Mrs. Dodds had disappeared again. She was now inside the building, at the** **end of the entrance hall.**

**Okay, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.**

"You wish," Leo commented.

**But apparently that wasn't the plan.**

**I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the** **Greek and Roman section.**

**Except for us, the gallery was empty.**

"Well, that's not good." Rachel said worriedly.

"No it is not," Nico smiled.

**Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She** **was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.**

"She probably was," Annabeth muttered.

**Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, ****especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to** **pulverize it...**

"Now that I would like to see!" Clarisse said excitedly.

**"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said.**

**I did the safe thing. I said, "Yes, ma'am."**

"Bout as safe as you can get," Thalia nodded.

**She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with ****it?"**

"Get away with what?" Leo asked.

"You'll see," Annabeth sighed.

**The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil.**

**She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me.**

"If she doesn't attack him, then I'm a satyr," Thalia conceded.

**I said, "I'll—I'll try harder, ma'am."**

**Thunder shook the building.**

"Dad, is really angry," Jason sang.

When the Stolls did it, no one cared. But to see Jason talking like that…it was bizarre.

"What? It's true?"

**"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. "It was only a matter of time before we ****found out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."**

**I didn't know what she was talking about.**

"Neither do I," Leo muttered.

**All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been ****selling out of my dorm room. **

"Oh that's definitely it." Clarisse said sarcastically.

**Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on **_**Tom Sawyer **_**from the** **Internet without ever reading the book and now they were going to take away my grade. Or** **worse, they were going to make me read the book.**

There was laughter all around

"They did that to me before. It was hor-rib-le." Travis said.

"Am I the only one who actually does the work?" Annabeth asked.

"Pretty much," they answered.

**"Well?" she demanded.**

**"Ma'am, I don't..."**

**"Your time is up," she hissed.**

**Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers ****stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She** **was a shriveled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was** **about to slice me to ribbons.**

"A fury! How did I not see that coming?" Jason asked himself.

"Jase?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't talk to yourself, it's weird."

**Then things got even stranger.**

"How can things get even stranger?" Piper wondered.

"A lot of ways, Beauty Queen." Leo told her.

"I thought I made it clear not to call me that?"

"Your point?"

**Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into ****the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.**

**"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.**

"What's he gonna do? Write on her?" Jason asked.

"Just wait," Annabeth smiled.

**Mrs. Dodds lunged at me.**

**With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear. I snatched the ballpoint pen** **out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—Mr. Brunner's** **bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.**

"Okay, that's awesome!" Jason, Leo, and Piper all said at the same time.

Everyone else burst out laughing.

**Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.**

**My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.**

"Wimp," Clarisse said again.

"Shut up," Annabeth told her.

**She snarled, "Die, honey!"**

"Again with the honey!" the Stolls exclaimed.

"She calls everyone that," Nico told them.

**And she flew straight at me.**

**Absolute terror ran through my body. I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the ****sword.** **The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of** **water. **_**Hisss!**_

**Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan. **

"That's a weird way to put it," Thalia commented. "But for his first monster and the fact that he has no clue who he is…not bad."

Jason nodded approvingly.

**She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulfur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.**

Shudders went through the group and someone muttered, "Creepy."

**I was alone.**

**There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.**

**Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.**

"He's still letting the mist affect him, isn't he?" Rachel asked.

"Pretty much, yeah." Annabeth replied.

"** My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms** **or something.**

"Great conclusion, Percy!" Travis clapped.

"I'm going to use that one day…" Connor whispered.

**Had I imagined the whole thing?**

**I went back outside.**

**It had started to rain.**

**Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was ****still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. **

**When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."**

"Who?" Nico and Thalia asked and then scowled at each other.

Annabeth smirked.

**I said, "Who?"**

Cue the laughter.

**"Our **_**teacher. **_**Duh!"**

**I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about.**

**She just rolled her eyes and turned away.**

"I'm confused…" Leo muttered.

"The mist had to make the mortals think they had a different teacher." Annabeth explained.

"Oh."

**I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was.**

**He said, "Who?"**

**But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.**

**"Not funny, man," I told him. "This is serious."**

"Grover needs lying lessons," Clarisse said.

"We'd be happy to provide the services." Connor gestured at him and Travis.

"Not the best idea," Nico told the room.

**Thunder boomed overhead.**

Jason was about to sing that his dad was angry again, but thought better of it.

**I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved.**

**I went over to him.**

**He looked up, a little distracted. "Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing ****utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson."**

**I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it.**

"He's slow." Rachel said. "And still letting the mist affect him."

**"Sir," I said, "where's Mrs. Dodds?"**

**He stared at me blankly. "Who?"**

"Now Chiron can lie," Nico said.

"He has had years of experience."

**"The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher."**

**He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned. "Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on ****this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling** **all right?"**

"No, he ate some magic mushrooms." Travis smirked.

"He's hallucinating this very moment."

"Oh shut up you two." Annabeth exclaimed. "That's the end of the chapter. Who wants to read next?"

"I will," Thalia took the book from Annabeth and started reading.

**And there you have it! Remember review! The more people who read this the more I'll update! As always, happy reading! **


	3. Chapter 3: Knit Socks of Death

**I decided to post again today because I just finished chapter 4. Thanks for the reviews and such, they're awesome **

**And yes, I know this has been done many times, but I wanted to try my hand at writing. Plus, I do plan to go fast, so I should get TLT done sometime in the near future. So yeah. Go with my new motto and happy reading! XD**

**Disclaimer: As much it pains me to say, no, I don't own PJO or HoO or any part of it and I never will.**

**Three Old Ladies Knit The Socks of Death ** Thalia read.

"Death?" Nico asked interestedly.

"Who knits socks of death?" Travis wondered.

"What are they gonna do…strangle someone?" Connor finished.

**I was used to the occasional weird experience, but usually they were over quickly. This twenty four/ seven hallucination was more than I could handle.**

"Percy, you need to lay off the magic mushrooms, they're not good for you." Connor reasoned with the book.

"Yes, this wouldn't be happening had you not eaten some." Travis concluded.

Everyone was glaring at them and they fell silent.

**For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. **

"Sorry, Perce. You're not that important," Rachel smirked.

**The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip—had been our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.**

"I don't get how the mist can be so powerful?" Leo shook his head.

"Not only that, but how mortals can be so ignorant." Thalia joined in.

"Hey!" Rachel exclaimed.

**Every so often I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip** **them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.**

"That's because you are," Travis said seriously.

**It got so I almost believed them—Mrs. Dodds had never existed.**

**Almost.**

"Let me guess," Annabeth said. "Grover couldn't fool him. With those skills…"

"You mean the ones that don't exist?" Piper filled in.

"Exactly. He must be part of the problem."

**But Grover couldn't fool me. **

"Ha, you two thought alike before you even met. How sweet." Connor said to Annabeth.

Let's just say that Connor now had a bruise on his arm.

**When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate,** **then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.**

"How soon can you guys start on those lessons?" Nico asked the Stolls.

"As soon as we finish here."

"Good, he really needs them."

**Something was going on. Something **_**had **_**happened at the museum.**

"No, Percy. This is the magic mushrooms acting up again." Travis explained.

"That's really getting old, punk." Clarisse growled.

**I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Mrs. Dodds****with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.**

"Ughh, demigod dreams suck!" Thalia grumbled.

"Agreed." The room replied.

**The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. One night, a thunderstorm blew ****out the windows in my dorm room. A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the ****Hudson Valley touched down only fifty miles from Yancy Academy. One of the current events** **we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that had gone down in** **sudden squalls in the Atlantic that year.**

"I really don't remember what Zeus and Poseidon were fighting about. But I must have heard something about it…" Jason racked his brain.

"It's okay Jason. Maybe the more you learn about it, the more will come back."

**I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. My grades slipped from Ds to Fs. I got** **into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost** **every class.**

"Well that's not very good," Rachel frowned.

**Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too ****lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot. I wasn't even sure what it ****meant, but it sounded good.**

Annabeth burst out laughing. "Wow, Percy. Just wow!"

"Ummm, what does 'sot' mean?" Nico asked.

She stifled a laugh. "Something along the lines of 'old drunkard'."

Now everyone was laughing and it took several minutes before they could start reading again.

**The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be ****invited back next year to Yancy Academy.**

**Fine, I told myself. Just fine.**

**I was homesick.**

"Aww, does little Prissy miss his mommy?" Clarisse taunted.

"Lay off," Thalia told her.

**I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to ****go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.**

"Wait what? Paul is awesome." Nico said, confused.

"This isn't Paul." Annabeth said. "This is his first step-dad. You'll see."

**And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The **_**view **_**of the woods out my dorm window, ****the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees. I'd miss Grover, who'd been a good** **friend, even if he was a little strange. I worried how he'd survive next year without me.**

"He's very loyal, isn't he?" Piper noticed.

"Very!" Annabeth answered.

"Which isn't always a good thing." Thalia added.

**I'd miss Latin class, too—Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do ****well.**

**As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for. I hadn't forgotten what Mr. ****Brunner had told me about this subject being life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd** **started to believe him.**

"That's smart." Jason nodded.

**The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the **_**Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology**_ **across my dorm room. **

"Percy!" Connor gasped. "How dare you do that to a book?"

Annabeth glared at him.

**Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters** **doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards. There was no way I was going to remember** **the difference between Chiron and Charon, or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those** **Latin verbs? Forget it.**

"That's not hard!" Jason exclaimed.

"We're hardwired for Greek, not Latin, Stapler Boy." Thalia said.

**I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt.**

**I remembered Mr. Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. **_**I will accept only**_ _**the best from you, Percy Jackson.**_

**I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book.**

"Good. You saved the book."

**I'd never asked a teacher for help before. Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me ****some pointers. At least I could apologize for the big fat F I was about to score on his exam. I** **didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.**

"Oh, he wouldn't think that. But, that's a good idea all the same."

**I walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr. ****Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.**

**I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner ****asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said **_**"... **_**worried about Percy, sir."**

"Uh oh, bet that made him do a double take," Thalia laughed.

"Yeah, hearing you best friend talking about you like that to an adult…not good." Nico added.

**I froze.**

**I'm not usually an eavesdropper, but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend** **talking about you to an adult.**

"That would be very difficult." Jason said.

"There's no way I wouldn't not be able to listen." Leo put in.

**I inched closer.**

**"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the **_**school**_**! Now that**

**we know for sure, and **_**they **_**know too—"**

**"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy ****to mature more."**

"That never works, Chiron. Demigods don't get to choose when they're ready." Annabeth shook her head.

**"But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline— **_**"**_

"What deadline?" Piper asked.

The older campers shook their heads.

**"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still ****can."**

**"Sir, he **_**saw **_**her... ."**

**"His imagination," **

"No." Connor insisted. "The magic mushrooms!"

**Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough** **to convince him of that."**

**"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You ****know what that would mean."**

"Grover, don't be so hard on yourself." Thalia said. She turned to Annabeth. "Did he really take what happened to me that bad."

"Yes. Yes he did." Annabeth said sadly.

"What happened to you?" Leo asked.

"All in good time, boy."

**"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she ****was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"**

**The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.**

"No, you just revealed your position!" Travis cried. "You never do that. Ever."

"You know the worst time to reveal your position?"

"What?"

"When you walk by and hear two gods arguing. Not a good idea to let them know you're there." Nico explained. "My hand will never be the same again…"

**Mr. Brunner went silent.**

**My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall.**

"Good, retreating is good." Connor smiled.

**A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something ****much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like** **an archer's bow.**

"That was really dangerous," Annabeth said disapprovingly. "He should not have been out of wheel chair mode at a school like that. Very irresponsible."

**I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.**

**A few seconds later I heard a slow **_**clop-clop-clop, **_**like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like** **an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, then** **moved on.**

"Wouldn't he have smelt him?" Piper asked.

"He was probably smelling for monsters," Jason replied.

**A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.**

**Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't** **been right since the winter solstice."**

"What happened at the solstice?" Leo wondered.

"I imagine you'll find out soon." Rachel answered.

**"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."**

**"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."**

**"Don't remind me."**

"Aren't exams the worst?" Clarisse asked suddenly.

"Yeah, especially 3-hour ones." Thalia said.

**The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office.**

**I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever.**

**Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm.**

**Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night.**

**"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?"**

**I didn't answer.**

**"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?"**

**"Just... tired."**

**I turned so he couldn't read my expression,**

"That won't work, Percy." Travis said. "Emotions, remember?"

**and started getting ready for bed.**

**I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole ****thing.**

**But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back.**

**They thought I was in some kind of danger.**

"I think that Percy's always in some sort of danger." Annabeth wondered.

"You're probably right," Thalia agreed. "There's always someone or something that wants him dead."

**The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam, **

"Wow, good guess me!" Thalia exclaimed.

**my eyes swimming with all the** **Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled, Mr. Brunner called me back inside.**

**For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but ****that didn't seem to be the problem.**

"The problem never seems to be what people think it is…" Jason started.

"It always turns out to be something bigger." Piper finished.

"That is too true." Annabeth sighed.

**"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best."**

"Chiron may not need lying lessons," Connor said. "But he does need one on pep talks."

"Well, we'll get to that after we fix Grover's problem." Travis replied.

"You know what problem of Grover's needs to be fixed?" Thalia asked.

"What?"

"His bunny phobia."

…

"He's scared of bunnies?" Piper giggled.

"Apparently they're always stealing celery from defenseless satyrs."

…

**His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly,** **the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little** **kissing motions with her lips.**

Annabeth gritted her teeth.

**I mumbled, "Okay, sir."**

**"I mean ..." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say.**

**"This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."**

"Okay, maybe we can do all three at once," Travis supplied. "Right this down will ya?"

Connor took out a notebook and wrote down the 3 problems they had to fix.

**My eyes stung.**

**Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After ****saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.**

**"Right," I said, trembling.**

**"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal,** **Percy. That's nothing to be—"**

"He's going to take that the bad way, isn't he?" Leo asked.

Annabeth nodded.

**"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."**

**"Percy—"**

**But I was already gone.**

"I would not have liked the one to be hearing that." Nico sympathized.

**On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase.**

**The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was ****going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They ****were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were **_**rich **_**juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were** **executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.**

"How would Poseidon feel if he knew that you had just called him a nobody?" Travis asked the book.

"You realize that he pretty much just called all of us nobodies." Annabeth said.

"Well that's rude." Piper blinked.

"I ain't nobody!" Clarisse growled.

Annabeth started laughing.

"What?"

"Oh nothing. You'll see why I'm laughing in the next book."

**They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city.**

**What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling ****magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.**

**"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."**

"At least he pretended to be interested," Rachel decided.

**They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.**

"Nevermind…"

**The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have** **to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had, so there we were, together again, heading into the city.**

"Was little Percy happy about being with his bestest buddy?" Clarisse sneered.

"Really Clarisse?" Thalia asked.

**During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other** **passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy, as** **if he expected something bad to happen. Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting** **teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound.**

"Well, if I appeared there out of thin air, then there would be." Connor said randomly.

"Ookay…"

**Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.**

**I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"**

"Bet that scared the styx out of him!" Nico laughed along with everyone else.

**Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"**

**I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.**

**Grover's eye twitched. "How much **_**did **_**you hear?"**

**"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"**

"You're not the only one who wants to know that." Leo muttered.

**He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about ****demon math teachers ..."**

"Fail!"

**"Grover—"**

**"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there ****was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."**

**"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."**

"So it's settled. If Percy agrees with us, then we are definitely giving Grover lessons." Travis concluded.

Connor nodded. "We start when this is over."

**His ears turned pink.**

**From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you** **need me this summer."**

**The card was in fancy script, **

"Remind me why the card is in fancy script, it's murder on the eyes." Thalia groaned.

"Mr. D." Annabeth explained. "His subtle way of torturing us."

**which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out ****something like:**

_**Grover Underwood**_

_**Keeper**_

_**Half-Blood Hill**_

_**Long Island, New York**_

_**(800) 009-0009**_

"We have a telephone?" Annabeth asked surprised. "That, I never knew."

**"What's Half—"**

**"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um ... summer address."**

**My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as ****rich as the others at Yancy.**

**"Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."**

"Well, it's not exactly a mansion…" Leo said.

**He nodded. "Or ... or if you need me."**

**"Why would I need you?"**

"Ooh, burn!"

**It came out harsher than I meant it to.**

**Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have ****to protect you."**

**I stared at him.**

**All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that** **he'd get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who** **defended **_**me.**_

"It is kind of mind blowing, isn't it?" Nico said.

**"Grover," I said, "what exactly are you protecting me from?"**

**There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and** **the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and limped the Greyhound** **over to the side of the highway.**

"That's kind of suspicious isn't it?" Jason mused.

"How so?" Thalia asked.

"Well, they're talking about myths, kinda, and suddenly the bus breaks down for no reason. I just find it suspicious."

**After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that ****we'd all have to get off. **

"See, they had to get off. Something is going to happen."

**Grover and I filed outside with everybody else.**

**We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there.**

**On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other** **side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit** **stand.**

**The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of bloodred cherries and apples, walnuts** **and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice**_**. **_

"Okay, now I'm hungry." Clarisse complained.

**There were no customers, just three old ****ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd** **ever seen.**

Annabeth gasped. "NO!"

"What?"

"He saw…he…didn't tell me…Oh no."

"I'm very confused." Leo said.

"You seem to be confused a lot." Thalia noticed.

"I'm new! Give me a break.

**I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the ****right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an** **enormous basket of electric-blue yarn.**

Annabeth groaned.

**All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied ****back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.**

**The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me.**

"I can't believe he didn't tell me!" Annabeth exploded.

"Tell you what? That he saw three old ladies knitting socks and…Oh" Jason's eyes got round. "That's not good."

"Can someone please tell me what is wrong with three old ladies?" Leo asked.

There was a flash and someone else appeared in their midst. It was Grover.

"Grover!" Annabeth screamed." Why didn't you, or Percy for the matter, tell me that he saw the Fates?"

Everyone went pale, understanding lighting their faces.

"I..what..how…where am I?" Grover stuttered, looking around.

Thalia explained the situation and the books. Grover sat down and seemed afraid to look at Annabeth. "I thought he would have told you," he said weakly. "Sorry…"

"Sorry! I…" Annabeth took a deep breath and sat down. She waved a hand for Thalia to continue reading.

**I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from** **his face. His nose was twitching.**

**"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man—"**

**"Tell me they're not looking at you. They are, aren't they?"**

**"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"**

"Not funny, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth scowled.

**"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all."**

There were a few sniggers.

**The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like ****shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.**

Everyone in the room did the same.

**"We're getting on the bus," he told me. "Come on."**

**"What?" I said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."**

"Listen to him!" Rachel yelled.

**"Come on!'" He pried open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back.**

**Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I ****swear I could hear that **_**snip **_**across four lanes of traffic. **

Annabeth put her head down in her lap. "They snipped the cord! They snipped it."

Grover patted her. "Remember what happened at the end of the war. The string you saw for Luke? That's what they showed him. The Prophecy."

Annabeth let out a sigh. "Thank the gods!"

**Her two friends balled up the electric-blue** **socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for—Sasquatch or Godzilla.**

**At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine ****compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.**

"See, I was right." Jason said quietly. "The bus stopped because the fates had something to show him and started again once it was shown."

**The passengers cheered.**

**"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"**

**Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu.**

"I thought you said the string wasn't for him?" Piper looked at Grover.

**Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.**

**"Grover?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"What are you not telling me?"**

"Plenty." The Grover of today said.

**He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit ****stand?"**

**"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are ****they?"**

"They're much worse than that, punk." Clarisse said.

**His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were ****something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds. He said, "Just tell me what you saw."**

**"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."**

Even though Annabeth knew it wasn't for Percy, she kept shaking her head.

"You must have been pretty freaked out huh?" Rachel asked Grover.

"You think?"

**He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, ****but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.**

"That was observant." Jason noticed.

"Very," Annabeth said, recovering.

**He said, "You saw her snip the cord."**

**"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.**

**"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this** **to be like the last time."**

"What last time?" Leo asked.

Thalia smirked.

**"What last time?"**

**"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."**

"Don't be so hard on yourself Grover. It was my choice and I don't regret it." Thalia told him.

"I know that now, but for years it hung over me."

**"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"**

**"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."**

"Grover winced.

**This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.**

**"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.**

**No answer.**

**"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"**

**He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on ****my coffin.**

"Does anyone know what flowers Percy_ would_ want on his coffin?" Travis asked curiously.

"Ummm, why?" Annabeth glared at him.

"No reason!"

…

"Well, that's the end of the chapter. Any volunteers?" Thalia held up the book.

"I will." Jason offered.

**Did you like it? Yes, no, maybe so? Well, at least you read it. That's good enough for. Again, R & R! Feeback? Constructive Criticism? Comments that give me a fuzzy feeling (as my friend puts it)? **

**I'll try to update tomorrow, even though that's when I start school. We'll see…**

**Yours in eternity,**

**~Sid-Nilos**


	4. Chapter 4: Grover Loses His Pants

**So I decided to post another chapter. Mainly cause I wrote a few in advance. I'll try to write more tonight but I'm so tired that I might not get that far...we'll see. The first day of school was good. I have Geography, Eniglish, French, and Experienced/advanced music...ya...Go Redhawaks!  
>Anyways, thx for the reviews! They make me feel so special, even though I'm not. As always, Happy reading!<strong>

**Disclaimer: No, as much as I wish it weren't true, I do NOT own PJO or HoO *sigh***

_**Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants **_Jason read.

Everyone burst out laughing as Grover's face turned red.

"How'd you manage to lose your pants, Goat Boy?" Clarisse roared.

"Did you leave them in a field somewhere?" Travis asked.

"For some other goat to wear?" Connor added.

"Lay off him guys," Thalia said, trying hard to not keep laughing. "It may not mean literally."

"Jason, please just read!" Grover pleaded.

**Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.**

"Well, that was rude!" Piper said.

"Tell me about it!" Grover exclaimed.

**I know, I know. It was rude. **

"Good, he admits it." They said together and everyone started laughing again.

**But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead** **man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"**

"So that's why he left…" Grover mused.

"You know, that would creep a guy out, Grover." Nico said. "I don't blame Perce for leaving."

**Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we** **got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom.**

There were a few snickers around the room.

**Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.**

**"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.**

"So that where he lives," Travis exclaimed.

"Not anymore," Annabeth told him.

"Dangit!"

**A word about my mother, before you meet her.**

**Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, **

"She is awesome!" Nico said. All who had met Sally before nodded.

**which just proves my theory** **that the best people have the rottenest luck. **

"That, is totally true!" Leo sighed.

**Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was** **five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist,** **so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing** **program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take** **care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.**

"That seriously sucks," Piper said

"For sure," Jason nodded.

**The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.**

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Rachel squealed.

**I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his** **smile. **

"How would he know that?" Clarisse asked.

"Poseidon probably visited Percy when he was a baby. Even if for only a minute, a god would leave an impression." Annabeth guessed.

**My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it****makes her sad. She has no pictures.**

"Well, no. No mortal parent ever does, Prissy." Clarisse sneered.

"Watch it, Clarisse!" Annabeth had her hand on her knife.

Jason quickly read on.

**See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a** **secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never** **came back.**

**Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.**

"That is one of most truthful stories I've heard," Grover mused. "He is important, and rich, and a secret. And technically he is lost at sea."

"All hail, creative lying and truth telling." Travis bowed.

"Grover, by the way, we are going to work on your lying skills and bunny phobia once we read all 5 five books." Connor grinned.

"Ummm, what?"

**She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her** **own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.**

"That, is an understatement." Thalia said.

**Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then ****showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe.**

"Childish name much," Nico laughed.

"You have no idea how true it was." Grover told him.

"Was…"

"You'll see."

**I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.**

"How does he know what that smells like…" Annabeth wondered. "You know what, I don't want to know."

**Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated ****her, the way he and I got along ... well, when I came home is a good example.**

"Let there be action!" Clarisse yelled. "This is so boring."

**I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly** **Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips** **and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.**

"Ewww! I'm gonna call that Gabe land…uggh, it's just gross." Piper gagged.

**Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."**

**"Where's my mom?"**

**"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"**

"That's it?" Annabeth growled. "No welcome back or how or you?"

Jason smirked as he read the next line.

**That was it. No **_**Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?**_

Annabeth blushed as everyone laughed.

**Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about** **three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or** **something.**

"Talk about a pig," Rachel said.

"No, a walrus." Travis corrected her. "I think you need your ears checked."

Rachel glared at him until he looked away.

**He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I ****don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer.**

"Okay, how is he not fired?" Leo asked.

"Who knows?" Nico responded.

**Whenever I** **was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "guy secret."** **Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.**

"Jerk," Annabeth mumbled.

**"I don't have any cash," I told him.**

"Even Percy can lie," Connor told Grover. "You're the only one left."

**He raised a greasy eyebrow.**

**Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell ****should've covered up everything else.**

"Was it really that bad?" Nico asked Grover.

"Pretty much," he answered. "Man that dude stank.

**"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven ****bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am** **I right, Eddie?"**

"Wow, who knew that the guy had any brain cells. He can count. Amazing." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come ****on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."**

"At least someone is being somewhat nice," Piper said.

**"Am I **_**right**_**?**_**" **_**Gabe repeated.**

**Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.**

"Nevermind."

**"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I ****hope you lose."**

"So do we." The Stolls sang. "So do we, so do you, so do all that can do…math."

"You guys are total weirdo's!" Jason shook his head.

"I'm gonna join your band." Leo got up and sat beside them. The trio started to sing again and only shut up when Clarisse threatened to get her spear.

**"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"**

**I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was ****Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shovingmy stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make theplace smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.**

"Ughh, what a horrible place to live." Piper commented.

"What a horrible person to live with." Nico added.

**I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.**

"Home sweet home indeed." Thalia snorted.

**Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that ****old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.**

"It was _that _bad?" Travis asked Grover.

"Percy seems to think so," he replied.

**But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic—how ****he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.**

"Wimp," Clarisse muttered.

**Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"**

"Percy's mom has long horrible talons?" Connor asked innocently.

"Oh shut up!" Annabeth threw a pillow at him.

**She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.**

Clarisse coughed *mama's boy*.

Annabeth gave her a glare.

**My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and ****change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed inwith her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she'seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an** **unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.**

"Wow, she's sounds really great." Leo said sadly, thinking of his own mom.

"That she is."

"She must be really worried about Percy right now."

"Mhmm."

**"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"**

"All adults say that whenever it's been more than a month," someone muttered. "It's annoying."

**Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: ****chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd ****brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.**

"Were they actually free, or did she 'take' them?" Connor asked suddenly interested.

"I'm liking Percy's mom more and more." Travis added.

**We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran ****her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn'tmention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay?** **Was her little boy doing all right?**

"He is such a mama's boy!" Clarisse shouted. "Excellent blackmail material!"

"Shut up, Clarisse!" Annabeth snapped.

**I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really** **glad to see her.**

"Point taken."

**From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"**

**I gritted my teeth.**

As did everyone else in the room.

**My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to ****some jerk like Gabe.**

**For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't** **too down about the expulsion.** **I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new** **friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the** **headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost** **convinced myself. I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy** **Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.**

"Yeah right. Now if he were to go back, his opinion would be totally different." Nico said.

"At least he was trying to make his mom happy." Thalia countered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…"

**Until that trip to the museum ...**

**"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets.**

**"Did something scare you?"**

"Nope, nadda, zero!" Travis sang. "Nothing ever scares our Percy."

"He is too big of a hero to be scared." Connor and Leo said together.

Everyone just shook their heads.

**"No, Mom."**

**I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, ****but I thought it would sound stupid.**

"It would, but at the same time it wouldn't." Annabeth said.

"You're confusing me," Leo said.

"You're always confused, Valdez."

**She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.**

**"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."**

**My eyes widened. "Montauk?"**

**"Three nights—same cabin."**

**"When?"**

**She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."**

"That must cheer him up immensely." Grover said, though remembering back on that night, it didn't turn out well at all.

**I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because ****Gabe said there wasn't enough money.**

**Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"**

"I want to run him through." Thalia growled.

"Already taken care of," Annabeth smirked.

"How…"

Annabeth just smiled misheviously.

**I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a ****deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then wewould get out of here.**

"I guess that's a fair deal," Rachel murmered.

"I say he should have punched him." Clarisse said.

**"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."**

**Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"**

"No, why would she be serious about going away on a trip. Especially if it involves getting away from you?" Nico asked sarcastically.

"Nico, you're talking to the book."

"…"

**"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."**

**"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money. ****That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough** **seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."**

"Bribery," Travis nodded his approval. "This just keeps getting better and better."

"Oh please, this book is totally boring. There is like no action." Clarisse complained.

"Clarisse," Annabeth reminded her. "We're only on chapter 3."|

"Whatever."

**Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, ****right?"**

**"Yes, honey," my mother said.**

**"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."**

**"We'll be very careful."**

Grover snorted. Very careful indeed.

**Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip ... And maybe ****if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."**

**Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.**

Everyone roared with laughter.

"You should have done it, punk." Clarisse grunted.

**But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad.**

**Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?**

"If only he knew," Grover said quietly.

"What?"

"Doesn't matter."

**"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. ****Please go back to it right now."**

**Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.**

**"Yeah, whatever," he decided.**

"How can he not hear the sarcasm in that? It was practically dripping in it." Nico asked.

"Very few brain cells," Annabeth said. "Remember."

**He went back to his game.**

**"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about... ****whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"**

**For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during ****the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.**

"If the mortal can sense it, then it must be bad," Jason commented. "He really should have told her."

"Yes, it would have caused so much less trouble."

**But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.**

**An hour later we were ready to leave.**

**Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the ****car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 ****Camaro—for the whole weekend.**

"What a jerk!" Piper exclaimed. "All he cares about is his stuff."

"Well, at least he got what was coming to him." Grover smiled.

Everyone but a select few looked confused.

**"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little ****scratch."**

"Like he'd be the one driving, he's twelve." Thalia fumed.

"He'll probably blame him if anything happens to it, even if it's pooped on." Nico added.

**Like I'd be the one driving. **

**I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.**

"Cousins think alike." Leo said is a dark voice.

Everyone looked around to see him sitting there holding a flash light under his chin, as if he were telling a ghost story."

"You are really weird, Valdez." Piper told him.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment."

**Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I ****can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him** **flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a cannon. **

"How'd he manage to do that?" Rachel asked.

"He's powerful," Annabeth shrugged. "And Gabe was evil."

**Maybe it was just the wind, or some**

**freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.**

**I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.**

"Get away from the scene of the crime as fast as possible," Connor nodded smartly. "Good job."

"Crime?" Thalia asked. "Really?"

"Oh totally."

"…"

**Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel** **box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and** **spiders in the cabinets, **

Annabeth shuddered.

Connor and Travis looked at each other, a plan forming in their heads.

**and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.**

"It wouldn't be too cold for, Percy." Nico pointed out.

"Yes," Thalia said. "But he doesn't know that yet.

"What do you guys mean?" Piper asked.

"I'm sure you'll find out.

**I loved the place.**

"A son of Poseidon who loves the beach? What has the world come to?" Travis gasped.

**We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never ****exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my** **dad.**

"Now I get why he loves it," Clarisse muttered. She coughed.

"**As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work ****disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.**

**We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning** **routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly** **beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.**

"What's with all the blue food?" Jason asked.

"Read on and maybe we'll find out." Leo answered.

**I guess I should explain the blue food.**

"See." Leo smirked.

Jason glared at him.

**See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed** **like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She** **baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips** **and brought home blue candy from the shop. **

"That is awesome." Connor said. "I wanna eat blue-corn tortilla chips."

"They don't taste any different than normal tortilla chips." Annabeth told him.

"Oh."

**This—along with keeping her maiden name, ****Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano—was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by** **Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.**

"Ooh, blue food and the same last name. So rebellious." Clarisse said.

No one bothered to tell her to shut it.

**When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me ****stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me** **about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy** **shop.**

**Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came** **to Montauk—my father. Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things**

"It seems parents always do, you know." Nico mused. "Before we know their gods, they tell us the same thing every time. But we never get tired of hearing it."

There were nods all around.

**she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.**

"See?"

**"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his** **black hair, you know, and his green eyes."**

"It's actually kind of creepy how much Percy looks like Poseidon." Thalia murmured.

"I know what you mean." Grover agreed.

**Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."**

**I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? **

Annabeth smiled sadly. "Don't say that, Percy"

**A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.**

**"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean ... when he left?"**

**She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."**

**"But... he knew me as a baby."**

"That's what we all think at first." Connor said seriously.

"And then all our hopes are washed away." Travis finished.

The group frowned.

**"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before ****you were born."**

**I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember ... something about my father. A** **warm glow. A smile.**

"See, Poseidon must have visited him."

**I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd** **felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me ...**

**I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean ****voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with ****Smelly Gabe.**

"I feel angry at my father all the time." Nico muttered. "And that's now too."

"I know what you mean." Leo said.

"Ditto," Thalia nodded.

**"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"**

**She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.**

**"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think ... I think we'll have to do something."**

**"Because you don't want me around?" **

"Of course he'd think that." Annabeth said quietly. "No confidence at the start whatsoever."

"Does he have it now?" Jason asked.

"Oh yes, he does."

**I regretted the words as soon as they were out.**

**My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—I **_**have **_**to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."**

"And this is her big mistake." Piper commented.

**Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave ****Yancy.**

**"Because I'm not normal," I said.**

"You say that like it's a bad thing Percy." Travis said sweetly.

**"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. **

"Why are you repeating what I just said?" Travis asked Jason.

"Uh, I'm not. That's what his mom said."

Everyone laughed as Travis hid behind a pillow.

**But you don't realize how important you are. I** **thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."**

**"Safe from what?"**

**She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that ****had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.**

"Is that a lot of things?" Rachel wondered.

"Probably." Annabeth said. "It is Percy after all."

**During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the** **teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told** **them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.**

"Why would a Cyclops be stalking him?" Thalia asked. "They're like his brothers."

"Not all Cyclopes are good." Jason said. Piper and Leo shuddered, remembering their quest.

"Yeah," Leo put in. "Ma Gasket is one of them."

"Who?" Nico asked.

"Just this huge mother Cyclops who almost killed us on our quest."

"…well, the Cyclops following Percy is probably watching him for his father." Annabeth said. "I hope."

**Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me ****down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick** **me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death** **with my meaty toddler hands.**

There were some snorts.

"Not bad, punk." Clarisse nodded.

**In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced** **to move.**

"That happens to almost every demigod." Grover said.

"I know." Travis frowned. "It sucks."

**I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art** **museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword.** **But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to** **Montauk, and I didn't want that.**

"That's our Seaweed Brain for you." Annabeth sighed. "Never putting thought into what might happen because of what he does."

"I don't think he ever has." Thalia said. "He did blow up that volcano. And did he think that no one would notice? Nope"

"Whoa," Leo cried. "He blew up a volcano?"

"But if he hadn't," Annabeth reasoned with Thalia. "Both he and I would be dead."

"Jason, can you carry on." Rachel interrupted before they could go into it.

**"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a ****mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And ****I just... I just can't stand to do it."**

**"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"**

"Not a school, Percy." Connor said. "A summer/not summer camp."

**"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."**

Now it was Connor's turn to hide behind the pillow amid laughter.

**My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to ****see me born— talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she** **ever mentioned it before?**

**"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I ****couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."**

**"For good? But if it's only a summer camp ..."**

"Obviously Sally knew that Poseidon was Poseidon." Jason says. "Cause some mortal parents don't know they're with a god, let alone the name."

"Like my dad," Piper sad sadly. "He has no idea who mom really is."

**She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more ****questions she would start to cry.**

**That night I had a vivid dream.**

"Hate 'em," Thalia muttered.

**It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, ****were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf. **

"What are dad and Poseidon fighting about this time?" Jason sighed.

Thalia leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Think of the title of the book."

He sat there for a minute then a smile lit his face. "No way."

"What?" Leo asked.

"Yes way!" Thalia told Jason.

"This'll be good."

**The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they** **fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth,** **goading the animals to fight harder.**

"Hades?" Piper asked.

Nico scowled. "Just listen and wait and see."

**I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in ****slow motion. I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's** **wide eyes, and I screamed, **_**No!**_

"You realize," Thalia suddenly thought. "Had the horse been about to trample the eagle, he probably wouldn't have cared so much."

"It's natural instinct," Annabeth said. "Had it been you who had the dream, you wouldn't of cared if the eagle killed the horse."

"…True."

**I woke with a start.**

**Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses.**

**There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot** **waves pounding the dunes like artillery.**

"Well someone's not happy," Connor grinned.

"Are you upset Poseidon? Has your pride been tested?" Travis asked.

They had multiple pillows thrown at them.

**With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."**

**I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ****ocean seemed to have forgotten. **

Clarisse snorted. "Cause the ocean has a mind for itself."

**Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry,** **tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.**

"Well that doesn't sound good." Piper commented.

"You know," Rachel said suddenly. "The title for this chapter is about Grover and he's not even in it."

"Just wait," Grover grumbled.

**Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, ****pounding on our cabin door.**

**My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.**

**Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain.**

"See?" Grover said unhappily.

**But he wasn't... he** **wasn't exactly Grover.**

"How was he not Grover?" Leo asked confused.

"Because he lost his pants," Connor snorted.

**"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"**

"Well obviously he wasn't," Thalia said reasonably.

**My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.**

**"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't** **you tell me?"**

"She caught on quick," Jason nodded.

"Yup."

**I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.**

"How can you not understand what you're seeing if it's just your best friend?" Leo asked.

Grover sighed.

_**"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" **_**he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you **_**tell **_**her?"**

**I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him** **perfectly.**

"What did you say Grover?" Jason and Rachel asked.

Grover was silent.

"He said 'Zeus and other gods'." Annabeth said slowly.

"I see."

**I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of ****the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—and where his legs should be ... where his** **legs should be ...**

"Just spit it out, Perce, come on." Travis urged.

"It won't kill you." Connor finished.

**My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: **_**"Percy. **_**Tell me **_**now**_**!"**

"Busted!"

**I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom** **stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.**

**She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. **_**Go**_**!**_**"**_

Clarisse sat forward. "Finally there might be some action. I was thinking of getting up and leaving."

**Grover ran for the Camaro—but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his ****shaggy hindquarters,**

"Shaggy hindquarters?" Thalia laughed.

"He's very bad a describing things," Grover mumbled.

**and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to** **me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.**

**Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.**

"And finally he outs it." Connor said.

"Grover is indeed a satyr." Travis added.

"Lay off guys, I bet you were pretty shocked when you first saw one." Annabeth said.

"True that." That said together.

"That's the end of the chapter." Jason put the book down. "Who's going next?"

Nico picked it up. "I will."

**What's you think? Good? Bad? So-so? R &R! Next chappie is the minotaur! Yay! Thx for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5: Bullfighting

**Hello Hello! How was everyone's day? Well I got homework today, so that's why I'm posting later. Your lucky I'm posting at all, actually. ut I finished writing chapter 6 so now I'm posting chapter 5. Whooo! Or not. So yeah, Happy Reading!  
>Disclaimer: I'm tired of this...No, I've don't own PJO or HoO, Rick Riordan does.<br>**

**My Mother Teaches Me Bullfighting. **

"Bullfighting?" Jason perked up. "Like with real bulls?"

"If only…" Grover sighed.

"What could be worse than an angry bull?" Leo asked.

"How about bronze ones that breathe fire." Clarisse replied.

Piper's eyebrows went up. "That what happens now?"

"No, not in this book." Annabeth shook her head.

"…Well then."

**We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain** **lashed the windshield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on** **the gas.**

"Best way to go," Clarisse said. "Fast and furious."

"More like dead and gone." Rachel mumbled.

**Every time there was a flash of lightning, I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat** **and I wondered if I'd gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants. **

Grover snorted.

"You know, that's not a bad idea." Travis' eyes sparkled.

"They wouldn't smell so good if they got wet though." Connor said.

Grover sniffed. "Hey!"

**But, no,** **the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo— lanolin, like** **from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.**

"Hey!"

**All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom... know each other?"**

"That's all he could think of?" Thalia exclaimed. "I would be sprouting questions like a machine gun."

**Graver's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not ****exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."**

**"Watching me?"**

"You're a stalker with hooves!" Leo told Grover.

Everyone chuckled.

**"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he** **added hastily. "I **_**am **_**your friend."**

**"Urn ... what **_**are **_**you, exactly?"**

"Very tactful, Percy," Annabeth shook her head.

"I know," Grover pouted. "You don't your best friend something like that."

**"That doesn't matter right now."**

**"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey—"**

Everyone but Grover burst out laughing.

"He thought you were part donkey?" Connor grinned.

"So disrespectful," Grover brayed.

**Grover let out a sharp, throaty **_**"Blaa-ha-ha!"**_

**I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I** **realized it was more of an irritated bleat.**

Leo smirked. "Well, it would be considering that he's half donkey."

Piper hit him in the head.

**"Goat!" he cried.**

**"What?"**

**"I'm a **_**goat **_**from the waist down."**

**"You just said it didn't matter."**

"Of course it matters!" Grover yelled.

_**"Blaa-ha-ha! **_**There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"**

**"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like ... Mr. Brunner's myths?"**

**"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a **_**myth, **_**Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"**

"**So you **_**admit **_**there was a Mrs. Dodds!"**

"Out of everything, he would go for that," Thalia grinned.

"It's just so 'Percy'!" Annabeth agreed.

**"Of course."**

**"Then why—"**

**"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be ****perfectly obvious. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One** **was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."**

"I really don't think he had a clue." Rachel said. "He was just very confused about what had happened with Mrs. Dodds."

"Still," Grover reasoned. "Now, more monsters and gods would know that he was out there. His scent increased no matter what he thought."

**"Who I—wait a minute, what do you mean?"**

**The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever** **was chasing us was still on our trail.**

**"Percy," my mom said, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you** **to safety."**

**"Safety from what? Who's after me?"**

"Nobody much. Just a bunch of blood-thirsty monsters and pissed off gods." Clarisse rolled her eyes.

Nico smirked.

**"Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the** **Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."**

Clarisse glared at the book and then at Grover.

Meanwhile Connor and Travis were coughing "donkey" to the amusement of Leo.

**"Grover!"**

**"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"**

**I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a** **dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird.**

**My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened ****farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket ****fences.**

"They're almost there," Jason said sitting forward.

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged worried glances.

**"Where are we going?" I asked.**

**"The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my ****sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."**

**"The place you didn't want me to go."**

"No, Percy." Travis said sarcastically. "The place where she had dreamed about taking you for years."

Clarisse smacked him and he slid off the chair. Grumbling under his breath he got up.

**"Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in ****danger."**

**"Because some old ladies cut yarn."**

"He is really slow." Thalia said quietly.

"I'm amazed he still alive," Nico added.

**"Those weren't old ladies," Grover said. "Those were the Fates. Do you know what it ****means—the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to ... when** **someone's about to die."**

The girls in the room turned to glare at Grover.

"You just had to tell him that, didn't you?" Annabeth sighed.

Grover looked down. "I thought it was for him. I was scared and it slipped out."

**"Whoa. You said 'you.'"**

**"No I didn't. I said 'someone.'"**

**"You meant 'you.' As in **_**me.**_**"**

**"I meant **_**you, **_**like 'someone.' Not you, **_**you.**_**"**

Leo shook his head. "You have no idea how confusing that sounds."

"For once, Leo's not the only one." Nico said.

**"Boys!" my mom said.**

**She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to ****avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.**

"What was that?" Piper asked.

Connor grinned. "A butterfly."

Travis laughed. "Didn't you hear? They're breeding monster mutant butterflies."

"With giant teeth and acid spit." Leo finished.

All three of them ended up on the floor.

**"What was that?" I asked.**

**"We're almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question. "Another mile. Please. Please. ****Please."**

**I didn't know where **_**there **_**was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, ****wanting us to arrive.**

Everyone in the room did the same.

**Outside, nothing but rain and darkness—the kind of empty countryside you get way out on ****the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into the** **thing with pointed teeth and leathery wings. My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really** _**hadn't **_**been human. She'd meant to kill me.**

"No, Percy." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "She was giving you a math test back. He needs to stop letting the mist affect him."

No one dared comment.

**Then I thought about Mr. Brunner ... and the sword he had thrown me. Before I could ask ****Grover about that, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling** _**boom!, **_**and our car exploded.**

"What?" Annabeth yelled.

"That can't be good." Jason muttered.

**I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the ****same time.**

**I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."**

**"Percy!" my mom shouted.**

**"I'm okay..."**

"He sounds like that transformer from Transformers 2!" Travis laughed.

"Oh yeah, like one of those twins when they were teleported to Egypt." Connor remembered. **(A/N: I think that's when that happened…)**

Travis stood up and started stumbling around like he was dizzy. "I'm okay, I'm okay…" He fell over like it was too much to take.

A wind started in the room and flung Travis back into his seat. Everyone looked at Jason, who shrugged.

"What? We're trying to read."

**I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. The car hadn't really exploded. We'd swerved into** **a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an** **eggshell and rain was pouring in.**

"Dad!" Thalia scowled. "You just had to, didn't you?"

**Lightning. That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in** **the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"**

**He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, ****thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to** **die!**

"Thanks Percy," Grover laughed. "It's great to know how much you care."

**Then he groaned "Food," and I knew there was hope.**

Everyone laughed.

"You do that whenever you pass out." Annabeth giggled.

"Umm, why?" Leo asked.

Grover shrugged, embarrassed. "I'm not aware of my actions?"

**"Percy," my mother said, "we have to ..." Her voice faltered.**

**I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a ****figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road. The sight of it made my skin crawl. It** **was a dark silhouette of a huge guy, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket** **over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had** **horns.**

Rachel shook her head. He was stilling not seeing all that he should.

"Wait," Jason said, turning to Grover. "Is that…"

"Uh huh."

**I swallowed hard. "Who is—"**

**"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."**

Clarisse grinned. She knew a fight was coming.

**My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried** **mine. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the** **edges were sizzling and smoking.**

Jason and Thalia scowled at the sky.

"Zeus really doesn't like, Percy, does he?" Nico asked. "Not even back then."

"Yup," Annabeth nodded. "And it's only gotten worse. Especially after turning down you-know-what."

Everyone who knew what she was talking about nodded, while Leo, Jason, and Piper just looked confused.

**"Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see ****that big tree?"**

_**"What?"**_

**Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant:** **a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill.**

"Yay, I'm in the book!" Thalia gasped sarcastically.

"Ummm, what?"

**"That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse ****down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."**

**"Mom, you're coming too."**

**Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.**

"Is it just me?" Rachel asked suddenly. "Or does Percy compare everyday things with the ocean and ocean things very often?"

"That he does." Grover nodded.

**"No!" I shouted. "You **_**are **_**coming with me. Help me carry Grover."**

**"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.**

"Dude," Travis said. "What is it with you and food?"

Grover shrugged.

**The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting ****noises. As he got closer, I realized he **_**couldn't **_**be holding a blanket over his head, because his** **hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the** **bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head ... was his head. And the points that looked like** **horns ...**

"The minotaur!" Piper realized.

"Hate him," Annabeth mumbled.

**"He doesn't want **_**us**_**," my mother told me. "He wants **_**you. **_**Besides, I can't cross the property** **line."**

**"But..."**

**"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."**

**I got mad, then—mad at my mother, at Grover the goat, **

Grover sniffed.

"At least he didn't call you 'Grover the donkey'." Leo told him.

Travis and Connor high-fived Leo, which resulted in them getting smacked by Piper.

**at the thing with horns that was** **lumbering toward us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull.**

"You'd think he would have caughten on by now." Thalia exclaimed.

**I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together. Come** **on, Mom."**

**"I told you—"**

**"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover."**

"He's very loyal." Jason noticed.

"Very!" Annabeth agreed.

**I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was ****surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.**

**Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through ****wet waist-high grass.**

Thalia grimaced, remembering what had happened to her all those years ago.

"They really shouldn't have a hill there." Grover said. "It makes it so much harder for the demigod if a monster is right behind them.

**Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms** **and legs like something from the cover of **_**Muscle Man **_**magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and** **a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes** **except underwear**

The room filled with laughter.

"What kind of monster wears underwear?" Clarisse sniffed. There wasn't as much action yet as she had hoped.

—**I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms—which would've looked funny,** **except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly** **button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.**

"Ughh," Rachel's face twisted. "I'm glad I'm not a demigod."

**His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as** **long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—****enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.**

"He really does make the weirdest comparisons." Jason said.

Nico laughed. "A pencil sharpner? Really?"

**I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us.**

"Finally!" Rachel exclaimed.

A few people nodded.

**But he couldn't be real.**

"Nevermind." She frowned.

**I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's—"**

**"Pasiphae's son," my mother said. **

"She's pretty smart."

**"I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."**

"Don't we all." Annabeth muttered.

**"But he's the Min—"**

**"Don't say his name," she warned. "Names have power."**

"Really smart." Piper added.

**The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.**

Thalia wasn't sure whether to laugh or frown,

**I glanced behind me again.**

**The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows—or not looking, exactly. More ****like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.**

**"Food?" Grover moaned.**

Connor whispered something to his brother and they both smiled mischievously.

**"Shhh," I told him. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"**

**"His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where ****we are soon enough."**

"How does she know so much about monsters?" Jason asked.

"She can see through the mist, like me." Rachel explained.

"Oh, I see…"

**As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, ****the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It** **slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before** **coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.**

"So much for not harming the car," Leo laughed.

"Now all he needs is for a seagull to poop on it." Nico smiled.

_**Not a scratch, **_**I remembered Gabe saying.**

"Opps!" Connor and Travis said.

**Oops.**

Everyone laughed.

**"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump** **out of the way— directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do** **you understand?"**

"I doubt it." Clarisse said.

Annabeth glared at her.

**"How do you know all this?"**

**"I've been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish,** **keeping you near me."**

**"Keeping me near you? But—"**

Thalia smirked. "Now she's just confusing him."

**Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.**

**He'd smelled us.**

**The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and ****Grover wasn't getting any lighter.**

"You should work on that." Travis told Grover.

**The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us.**

**My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! ****Remember what I said."**

**I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted** **to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He** **reeked like rotten meat.**

Annabeth's face twisted. "Eww."

**He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.**

**The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt, but that wouldn't work. I could never outrun ****this thing. So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side.**

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

**The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but** **not toward me this time, toward my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass.**

"How are you still unconscious man?" Leo asked.

Grover turned red and looked down.

**We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother** **had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile** **away. We'd never make it.**

"And you say I'm a pessimist." Nico said.

"That's because you are, Cuz." Thalia told him.

Nico scowled.

**The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now ****retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.**

**"Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any farther. Run!"**

No one could say anything.

**But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her. She tried to sidestep, as ****she'd told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by** **the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.**

**"Mom!"**

**She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"**

**Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she ****dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a ****holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply ... gone.**

The room sat in stunned silence. Even those who knew that Sally was fine couldn't find something to say. Everyone but Leo, who mumbled "What?"

**"No!"**

**Anger replaced my fear. Newfound strength burned in my limbs—the same rush of energy I'd** **gotten when Mrs. Dodds grew talons.**

**The bull-man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched ****over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too.**

**I couldn't allow that.**

"Why thank you, Percy." Grover said to the silence.

**I stripped off my red rain jacket.**

**"Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid!**

**Ground beef!"**

"Lame insult, punk," Clarisse grunted.

**"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward me, shaking his meaty fists.**

**I had an idea—a stupid idea, but better than no idea at all. I put my back to the big pine tree**

"Maybe I'll be of help." Thalia wondered.

Jason, Leo, and Piper glanced at her with confused looks.

**and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last** **moment.**

**But it didn't happen like that.**

"Of course it didn't." Annabeth shook her head.

**The bull-man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge.**

**Time slowed down.**

"Isn't it weird how time does seem to do that when you're fighting?" Travis asked.

No one answered.

**My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the ****creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair, and landing on his neck.**

**How did I do that? **

"That's what I'd like to know." Clarisse said, surprised.

**I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head** **slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.**

"Percy!" Thalia gasped. "That could have hurt me."

Annabeth snorted.

**The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to ****keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes.**

"You just had to make things harder for him, didn't you dad?" Jason said.

**The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils.**

**The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull. He should have just backed ****up into the tree and smashed me flat, but I was starting to realize that this thing had only one gear: forward.**

"That probably saved his life." Rachel said to herself.

**Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the ****way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth I'd bite my own tongue off.**

**"Food!" Grover moaned.**

"Even if it might cost you your life, you still go on about food." Connor laughed. "Wow."

**The bull-man wheeled toward him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I ****thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of** **light, and rage filled me like high-octane fuel. I got both hands around one horn and I pulled** **backward with all my might. The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then—**_**snap!**_

"Whoa!" Jason said. "That some serious adrenaline."

"And that was pretty smart." Thalia added.

**The bull-man screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass.**

**My head smacked against a rock. **

"Ow!" The room said together.

**When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my** **hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife.**

"Very useful." Nico acknowledged.

**The monster charged.**

**Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster barreled past, I ****drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage.**

**The bull-man roared in agony. He flailed; clawing at his chest, then began to disintegrate— ****not like my mother, in a flash of golden light, but like crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by** **the wind, the same way Mrs. Dodd's had burst apart.**

"Nice job, Percy!" the Stoll's clapped.

**The monster was gone.**

**The rain had stopped. **

"Great timing dad." Thalia snorted. "Just perfect."

**The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like** **livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and** **scared and trembling with grief I'd just seen my mother vanish. I wanted to lie down and cry,**

"Wimp," Clarisse coughed.

"How would you feel if your mom just died before your eyes, Clarisse?" Annabeth snapped.

Clarisse didn't answer.

"I thought so."

**but** **there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the** **valley, toward the lights of the farmhouse. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to** **Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.**

"Thank's Perce, I appreciate it."

"Don't we all." Annabeth nodded.

**The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan ****circling above me, **

"There's a ceiling fan on the porch?" Connor asked.

"That's so random." Travis added.

**moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking** **bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's. **

Piper smiled. "Is that you Annabeth?"

Annabeth smiled in turn. "Yup."

"He thought you were pretty the second he saw you." Travis teased.

"I don't see why she would complain about that." Thalia countered.

"Burn!" Connor and Leo yelled.

**They both looked down at** **me, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."**

Nico laughed. "So much meaning in one little sentence."

"Oh shut up." Annabeth punched him lightly.

**"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."**

"That's it." Nico said. "That's the end of the chapter."

"That was a lame fight." Clarisse complained.

"Like you could do any better." Rachel said.

"I slayed a drakon!" Clarisse growled.

"Only because you had that stupid spear." Thalia told her.

"Why you little-"

"Stop it!" Piper got in between them. "That's not what we're here for."

"Piper's right." Jason said. "Let's just keep reading. Who's next?"

"I'll read." Leo offered. "Hand me that book, would ya?"

**And there it is. Sorry that there wasn't much of Clarisse in there spouting about lack of action or weakness or whatever she might say, but I wrote this rushed yesterday. Remember R & R! I might not be able to post tomorrow because I have an assignment I have to type up tomorrow night...we'll see. Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6: I Play Pinochle With a Horse

**Hello hello! Before you guys read this I'm going to ramble on a bit. Okay first of all, I'm sorry, this chapter sucks but…no, no excuses, I just didn't do a good job on it. "I'm posting anyways because tomorrow is Friday and I'll have time on the weekend to work on this. Yay! Thanks for all of the reviews by the way, they're so nice **

**Now, some answers. Yes, I know that Clarisse is more of a friend to Percy now. I'm just having fun at the moment making her seem like the same old same old. Same goes for Thalia and Nico. They will not be slipping in jokes about Percy when he's in danger…normally.**

**And someone asked where Percy was. This book takes place like a few days after Piper, Leo, and Jason get back from their quest and time is frozen. In chapter one of The Son of Neptune, it hints that Percy has been in a deep sleep for a month or two. So basically, Percy is asleep wherever Hera put him right now. Though he may come into the series later…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO. Rick Riordan owns it all.**

As Leo took the book from Jason, Travis sat up quickly and looked around. "I just thought of something. Can we leave this room? Can we eat? Sleep?"

"Good question." Annabeth said. "Just get up and try to walk out the door. Then we'll see if we can leave."

Travis looked apprehensively at the door before getting uo and slowly moving towards it.

"It's not gonna kill you," Nico told him.

"Well, you never know." He took a deep breath and walked through the door. "Yes! I didn't die!"

Connor snorted. "Come on, I'm hungry, let's grab some food." He got up, went over to his brother and they left.

"I guess we have to wait for them." Rachel sighed.

"So…" Leo stared at the cover for what felt like 5 mintues. "What do you guys think happens next?"

Annabeth smirked. "I _know _most of what happens next."

"Right, after all, you did call Percy 'the one'." Travis laughed, coming back in with an armful of food. There was fruit, chips, pop, and various other snacks.

"Oh, shut up!" Annabeth glared. It didn't last long though, she even laughed.

"Where'd you guys get the pop?" Piper asked enviously.

"We have our ways," Connor said slyly. They put down the food on the table and sat back down. "Dig in."

Everyone took something and got ready to start reading again. Leo cleared his throat and began.

_**I Play Pinochle with a Horse**_

"Good thing Chiron's not here," Nico laughed. "I don't think that he'd like that."

"Not at all." Grover smirked.

**I had weird dreams full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. The rest wanted** **food.**

"I've had a dream like that once." Connor said. "Except the animals wanted me to tap dance. It was horrifying."

"Demigods have weird imaginations." Rachel shook her head.

**I must've woken up several times, but what I heard and saw made no sense, so I just passed** **out again. I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered** **popcorn, only it was pudding. The girl with curly blond hair hovered over me, smirking as she** **scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.**

"And Annabeth appears," Travis said with a flourish.

**When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"**

Grover snorted. "I love how you just expect him to know."

"Well," Annabeth struggled to defend herself. "Technically he did know something about it…"

**I managed to croak, "What?"**

**She looked around, as if afraid someone would overhear. "What's going on? What was ****stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"**

**"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I don't..."**

**Somebody knocked on the door, and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding.**

**The next time I woke up, the girl was gone.**

"Oh look, he misses you already." Connor swooned.

"Why on earth did you leave him, Annie." Travis pretended to faint.

"Don't call me Annie!"

**A husky blond dude, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom keeping watch over me.**

**He had blue eyes— at least a dozen of them—on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands.**

"Argus has way more than that." Rachel said.

"That's all he could see." Nico pointed out.

**When I finally came around for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings, except** **that they were nicer than I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing** **across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries. There was a** **blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a** **scorpion had been using it for a nest. **

"How exactly does he know how that feels?" Leo asked.

"Well, maybe Percy did have a scorpion in his mouth before," Travis nodded. "It used him as a home, a sanctuary, a nest, a-"

"Where in hades are you taking this?" Clarisse raised an eyebrow.

"…I'm not really sure…"

**My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth** **hurt.**

**On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw ****and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry.**

"Yum!" Connor drooled.

"Dude!" Travis shoved him away. "There's food right there!"

**My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.**

**"Careful," a familiar voice said.**

**Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. Under ****one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange** **T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Just plain old Grover, not the goat boy.**

"Yes, goat boy is gone." Leo said. "Hidden by the magic we call pants and shoes."

Travis high-fived him as Grover scowled.

**So maybe I'd had a nightmare. Maybe my mom was okay. We were still on vacation, and ****we'd stopped here at this big house for some reason. And...**

**"You saved my life," Grover said. "I...well, the least I could do ... I went back to the hill. I ****thought you might want this."**

"Way to break it to him, Grover." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Hey! It wasn't that bad…"

**Reverently, he placed the shoe box in my lap.**

**Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip ****splattered with dried blood. It hadn't been a nightmare.**

"Okay, someone please tell me that the tip still isn't covered in blood." Thalia groaned.

"Why would he clean it off?" Nico asked.

"Well, he did hang it in his cabin."

"Sure, but it's a spoil of war," Annabeth explained. "You don't clean a monsters horn or other various things like claws…usually."

"Still, that's kinda gross."

**"The Minotaur," I said.**

**"Urn, Percy, it isn't a good idea—"**

**"That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" I demanded. "The Minotaur. Half ****man, half bull."**

"Just yell it out to the world why don't you." Grover said. "Percy doesn't like to listen to reason."

"That's why he's Seaweed Brain." Annabeth smiled.

**Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you** **remember?"**

"Two days?" Piper wondered. "Wow, that must have drained his energy."

"Or he's just a wimp," Clarisse smirked.

"Go polish your spear, Clarisse." Nico said.

"Geez, I was kidding. But if you want I could just run you through with it now." She rolled her eyes.

"Guys. Seriously?" Piper stood up. "Stop!"

**"My mom. Is she really ..."**

**He looked down.**

**I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of ****strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the** **tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. Even that looked** **beautiful in the sunlight.**

"Why dear Percy, are you implying something?" Connor grinned.

"Just how beautiful did you think Thalia was when you first saw her?" Travis added.

They had multiple pillows thrown at them.

**My mother was gone. The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look ****beautiful.**

"How sweet." Rachel sighed.

**"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure. I'm—I'm the worst satyr in the world."**

**He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The** **inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.**

"You have Styrofoam in your shoes?" Leo raised his eyebrows.

Jason mock punched him. "How else do you think the shoes would stay on?"

"I don't know…satyr shoes." Leo shrugged.

"Satyr shoes?" Grover laughed.

"Yeah, shoes with just enough space for a hoof and then…never mind." Leo stopped because of the strange looks everyone was giving him.

**"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.**

**Thunder rolled across the clear sky.**

**As he struggled to get his hoof back in the fake foot, I thought, Well, that settles it.**

**Grover was a satyr. I was ready to bet that if I shaved his curly brown hair, I'd find tiny horns** **on his head. **

Grover put his hands on his head. "Not the hair."

Travis and Connor exchanged evil grins.

**But I was too miserable to care that satyrs existed, or even minotaurs. All that meant** **was my mom really had been squeezed into nothingness, dissolved into yellow light.**

**I was alone. An orphan. I would have to live with ... Smelly Gabe? No. That would never ****happen. I would live on the streets first. **

"Yeah right." Clarisse snorted. "No way that punk would, or could, join the army at that age."

**I would pretend I was seventeen and join the army. I'd do** **something.**

**Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid—poor goat, satyr, whatever—looked as if he ****expected to be hit.**

"Grover, it wasn't your fault." Annabeth told him.

Grover shook his head. "But it was…just, let it go."

**I said, "It wasn't your fault."**

**"Yes, it was. I was supposed to **_**protect **_**you."**

**"Did my mother ask you to protect me?"**

**"No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was."**

**"But why ..." I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.**

"Now your just confusing him." Thalia smirked.

"He's always confused." Nico said.

"Like Leo," Piper laughed.

"That's right…wait…hey!"

**"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here." He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to** **my lips.**

**I recoiled at the taste, **

"What? Nectar is awesome!" Travis said in disbelief.

"I know. For me, it tastes like the chocolate from Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor smiled. "That's the first place we ever looted. Remember that?"

"Yeah, it was so easy and so worth it."

"Moving on." Jason said.

**because I was expecting apple juice. **

"Oh. Oops."

**It wasn't that at all. It was** **chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies. And not just any cookies—my mom's homemade blue** **chocolate-chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting. **

"That sounds so good!" Leo said enviously.

"They are." Annabeth agreed.

**Drinking it, my whole body** **felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just** **brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and** **told me everything was going to be okay.**

"Mama's boy." Clarisse coughed and then laughed

**Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the** **ice cubes hadn't even melted.**

"I don't get that." Nico mused. "How does it seem warm? I know it tastes different to every demigod, but still…"

"Good question…"

**"Was it good?" Grover asked.**

**I nodded.**

**"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.**

"Why on earth would he feel guilty?" Travis asked.

"Maybe our Perce is just weird." Connor decided.

**"Sorry," I said. "I should've let you taste."**

"There's your answer." Piper said.

**His eyes got wide. "No! That's not what I meant. I just... wondered."**

**"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's. Homemade."**

**He sighed. "And how do you feel?"**

**"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."**

"That's…an odd way of putting it. But still good." Jason thought.

**"That's good," he said. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that ****stuff"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table.**

"It's not gonna blow up, Grover." Annabeth said.

"I know that…sort of…"

**"Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."**

"Ooh, we get to see the famous Mr. D." Piper sat up.

"You'll be disappointed. Everyone is."

"Go Wine Dude!" the Stolls yelled.

**The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse.**

**My legs felt wobbly, trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the Minotaur horn, but I ****held on to it. I'd paid for that souvenir the hard way. I wasn't going to let it go.**

Jason nodded. "That's good."

**As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.**

"The first view of Camp-Half Blood always does that to people, doesn't it?" Thalia noticed.

"Yeah…"

"Not for me." Nico said, looking pointedly at Thalia. "Probably because I was crashed into the water in a bus and almost died."

Thalia sputtered. "You didn't almost die."

"But I did crash, in the lake."

She didn't comment.

**We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the ****valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between** **here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with** **buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture—an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a** **circular arena—except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in** **the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes** **glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other** **around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others** **rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.**

"Camp is awesome." Grover sighed and everyone nodded.

**Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blond haired girl who'd spoon-fed me popcorn-flavored pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them. **

"And he notices her right off the bat." Connor announced.

"Well done, Percy." Travis said.

**The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair**

**so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels— **

"He didn't…" Annabeth laughed.

**what do you call** **them, hubbubs? No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a** **trailer park. **

The room roared with laughter.

"He did!"

**He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's** **poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my stepfather.**

"No duh," Thalia shook her head.

**"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's ****Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, **

"Really, Grover?" Annabeth asked. "Really?

"I go on." He countered.

**but she's been here longer than just about anybody. **

"See?"

"Still…"

"Better than a cherub turned middle-aged in a trailer park." Leo laughed.

"True that."

**And** **you already know Chiron... ."**

**He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.**

**First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the ****thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.**

**"Mr. Brunner!" I cried.**

"And Chiron is revealed." Travis said.

"Tada!" Connor jumped up.

**The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they ****sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers **_**B**_**.**

"Wow," Annabeth laughed. "Only Chiron would do that."

**"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."**

**He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and ****heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now,** **don't expect me to be glad to see you."**

"Well that's nice." Piper said sarcastically.

"Oh for Mr. D it is." Nico said. "Just warning you now."

"Yeah, I'm surprised Percy's still alive." Thalia shook her head.

"The punk…"

**"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little farther away from him because, **_**if **_**there was one thing I had ****learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice.**

**If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.**

"Hahaha! That's almost exactly what Thalia said earlier."

**"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl.**

"Really Percy?" Annabeth smiled. "The blond girl?"

**She came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to ****health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him** **in cabin eleven for now."**

**Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."**

**She was probably my age, maybe a couple of inches taller, and a whole lot more athletic ****looking.**

"You got that right." Annabeth smirked.

**With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly what I thought a** **stereotypical California girl would look like, **

"He would think that," Nico joked.

**except her eyes ruined the image. **

"Well, that's not very nice." Annabeth huffed.

**They were** **startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best** **way to take me down in a fight.**

"That's better."

**She glanced at the minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined she was going to** **say, **_**You killed a minotaur! **_**or **_**Wow, you're so awesome! **_**or something like that.**

Thalia laughed. "Like Annabeth would ever say that."

"I don't think anyone would say that." Nico snorted.

**Instead she said, "You drool when you sleep."**

"That's all you could think of to say?" Travis asked.

"More importantly. You watched him when he slept?"

Annabeth turned red. "I was, as Chiron put it, 'nursing him back to health'."

**Then she sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her.**

**"So," I said, anxious to change the subject. "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?"**

**"Not Mr. Brunner," the ex—Mr. Brunner said. "I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may ****call me Chiron."**

"What's a pseudonym?" Leo asked.

"Really Leo?" Jason shook his head.

"What?"

**"Okay." Totally confused, I looked at the director. "And Mr. D ... does that stand for ****something?"**

**Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me like I'd just belched loudly. "Young man, ****names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."**

**"Oh. Right. Sorry."**

"I'm thinking back to all the fights that he's had with Dionysus, and I really, really don't see how he's alive." Thalia wondered.

"He's…special."

**"I must say, Percy," Chiron-Brunner broke in, "I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time** **since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."**

**"House call?"**

**"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, ****keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something** **special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to ... ah, take a leave of** **absence."**

"Yes Chiron!" Connor shouted.

"I wonder what he did?" Annabeth wondered.

**I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago, but I did ****have a fuzzy memory of there being another Latin teacher my first week at Yancy. Then, without** **explanation, he had disappeared and Mr. Brunner had taken the class.**

**"You came to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked. **

"And this is where his ego comes from." Nico grinned.

Annabeth sighed.

**Chiron nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first. We contacted your mother, let her** **know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still** **had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."**

"Too bad there's many more after." Thalia groaned.

"I hate tests." Leo muttered.

**"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"**

**"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair, though I didn't know why he should ****be so afraid of a pudgy little man in a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt.**

"Please tell me that he understands and knows a lot more know." Jason said.

"Don't worry, he does."

**"You **_**do **_**know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.**

**"I'm afraid not," I said.**

**"I'm afraid not, **_**sir**_**," he said.**

"Gosh, Percy." Connor gasped. "How can you forget the _sir_?"

"It's like, the first rule of survival." Travis nodded.

**"Sir," I repeated. I was liking the camp director less and less.**

**"Well," he told me, "it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest ****games ever invented by humans. I would expect all **_**civilized **_**young men to know the rules."**

**"I'm sure the boy can learn," Chiron said.**

**"Please," I said, "what is this place? What am I doing here? Mr. Brun—Chiron—why would ****you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"**

"There goes his ego." Thalia laughed.

"Everyone, save him!" Nico smiled.

"Really guys?"

"Yes."

**Mr. D snorted. "I asked the same question."**

**The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile.**

**Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know ****that no matter what my average was, **_**I **_**was his star student. He expected **_**me **_**to have the right** **answer.**

"I hate it when a teacher always thinks you have the right answer. It's like, come on. Give me a break."

**"Percy," he said. "Did your mother tell you nothing?'**

**"She said ..." I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea. "She told me she was ****afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I** **probably couldn't leave. She wanted to keep me close to her."**

**"Typical," Mr. D said. "That's how they usually get killed. Young man, are you bidding or ****not?"**

"I just thought of an awesome new prank." Travis declared.

"Do tell!" Connor leaned in.

"Well…wait, Mr. D isn't gonna be back anytime soon. Never mind."

**"What?" I asked.**

**He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.**

**"I'm afraid there's too much to tell," Chiron said. "I'm afraid our usual orientation film won't** **be sufficient."**

"There's any orientation film?" Leo asked.

"Yup," Annabeth said. "It's Pg-13."

"How come I didn't get to see it?"

"Depends on what you know or have experienced before you arrive."

**"Orientation film?" I asked.**

**"No," Chiron decided. "Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know"—****he pointed to the horn in the shoe box—"that you have killed the Minotaur. No small feat, either,** **lad. What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods—the forces you** **call the Greek gods—are very much alive."**

"Wow," Clarisse snorted. "Great orientation."

**I stared at the others around the table.**

**I waited for somebody to yell, **_**Not! **_**But all I got was Mr. D yelling, "Oh, a royal marriage. ****Trick! Trick!" He cackled as he tallied up his points.**

"Mr. D would!" Travis laughed.

**"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke ****can?"**

**"Eh? Oh, all right."**

**Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can and chewed it mournfully.**

"How on earth does that taste good?" Jason asked Grover.

"I don't know. But it's wonderful," he said dreamily.

**"Wait," I told Chiron. "You're telling me there's such a thing as God."**

**"Well, now," Chiron said. "God—capital **_**G**_**, God. That's a different matter altogether. We ****shan't deal with the metaphysical."**

**"Metaphysical? But you were just talking about—"**

**"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors:** **the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter."**

"Does he know how confusing that sounds?" Piper laughed.

"Smaller?"

**"Smaller?"**

**"Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class."**

**"Zeus," I said. "Hera. Apollo. You mean them."**

"He was very careless at the start I see." Thalia grinned. "Percy, Percy, Percy."

**And there it was again—distant thunder on a cloudless day.**

**"Young man," said Mr. D, "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around,** **if I were you."**

**"But they're stories," I said. "They're—myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff.** **They're what people believed before there was science."**

Everyone in the room snorted.

**"Science!" Mr. D scoffed. "And tell me, Perseus Jackson"—I flinched when he said my real ****name, which I never told anybody—"what will people think of your 'science' two thousand years** **from now?" Mr. D continued. "Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo jumbo. That's what. Oh,** **I love mortals—they have absolutely no sense of perspective. They think they've come **_**so-o-o **_**far.** **And have they, Chiron? Look at this boy and tell me."**

"I take offense to that." Rachel crossed her arms.

"Of course you do, Rach." Nico laughed.

**I wasn't liking Mr. D much, but there was something about the way he called me mortal, as ****if... he wasn't.**

"No…really?" Connor asked.

Travis turned to him. "Yes."

**It was enough to put a lump in my throat, to suggest why Grover was dutifully** **minding his cards, chewing his soda can, and keeping his mouth shut.**

**"Percy," Chiron said, "you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is that **_**immortal **_**means ****immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you** **are, for all time?"**

**I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the** **tone of Chiron's voice made me hesitate.**

**"You mean, whether people believed in you or not," I said.**

"Good insight," Jason said.

"Yeah, didn't know he had it in him." Nico replied.

**"Exactly," Chiron agreed. "If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an ****old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that someday people would** **call **_**you **_**a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?"**

"Harsh much?" Piper asked.

"Hmmm, Chiron's not normally like that."

**My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn't going to let** **him. I said, "I wouldn't like it. But I don't believe in gods."**

**"Oh, you'd better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."**

"I bet at least one wants to on a daily basis." Annabeth said.

"That, is too true."

**Grover said, "P-please, sir. He's just lost his mother. He's in shock."**

**"A lucky thing, too," Mr. D grumbled, playing a card. "Bad enough I'm confined to this ****miserable job, working with boys who don't even believe."**

"Confined?" Leo and Jason wondered.

"You'll see." Thalia told them.

**He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent,** **momentarily, and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.**

**My jaw dropped, but Chiron hardly looked up.**

"He's used to it." Nico grinned.

**"Mr. D," he warned, "your restrictions."**

**Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise.**

**"Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"**

**More thunder.**

Jason laughed. "Dad really isn't in a good mood during this book."

"Most gods weren't."

**Mr. D waved his hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He ****sighed unhappily, popped the top of the soda, and went back to his card game.**

**Chiron winked at me. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph ****who had been declared off-limits."**

"Lovesick gods," Rachel muttered.

"Tell me about it." Thalia nodded.

**"A wood nymph," I repeated, still staring at the Diet Coke can like it was from outer space.**

**"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly!**

**Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time—well, she really was pretty, and I couldn't stay** **away—the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a** **better influence,' he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha.' Absolutely** **unfair."**

"He sounds like a little kid." Piper noted.

"Sometimes I think he is one."

**Mr. D sounded about six years old, like a pouting little kid.**

**"And ..." I stammered, "your father is ..."**

_**"Di immortales, **_**Chiron," Mr. D said. "I thought you taught this boy the basics. My father is ****Zeus, of course."**

"So demigods shouldn't throw the names around, but gods can?" Leo scowled. "So unfair."

**I ran through D names from Greek mythology. Wine. The skin of a tiger. The satyrs that all ****seemed to work here. The way Grover cringed, as if Mr. D were his master.**

**"You're Dionysus," I said. "The god of wine."**

"Wine Dude!" Connor yelled.

Piper glared at him.

**Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well, ****duh!'?"**

**"Y-yes, Mr. D."**

**"Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?"**

"Mom wouldn't like that." Piper laughed.

"Not at all." Annabeth agreed.

**"You're a god."**

**"Yes, child."**

**"A god. You."**

"He's soooo slow." Thalia said.

"And he knows it too." Rachel grinned.

**He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that ****this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions** **of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors** **screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that** **if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that** **would leave me wearing a strait-jacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.**

"Ughh, he's a lot more powerful than he seems," Leo noticed.

"That's why you gotta be polite with him."

"WINEDUDE!"

"Shut up!"

**"Would you like to test me, child?" he said quietly.**

**"No. No, sir."**

**The fire died a little. He turned back to his card game. "I believe I win."**

"Wait for it…" Grover said.

"**Not quite, Mr. D," Chiron said. He set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, "The ****game goes to me."**

"Knew it," Grover said smugly.

"Oh please, anyone could guess that."

**I thought Mr. D was going to vaporize Chiron right out of his wheelchair, but he just sighed ****through his nose, as if he were used to being beaten by the Latin teacher. **

"That he is." Annabeth nodded.

**He got up, and Grover** **rose, too.**

**"I'm tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, ****Grover, we need to talk, **_**again, **_**about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."**

**Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y-yes, sir."**

"You're not looking too hot, Grover." Travis sang.

"I think you need to be cheered up." Connor nodded.

"Ooh, we should sing "Canada's Really Big!"

"Noooo!"

**Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."**

**"He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.**

**"Will Grover be okay?" I asked Chiron.**

**Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates** **his job. He's been ... ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another** **century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus."**

"It's his fault in the first place." Nico said.

"I can't really imagine camp being normal without Mr. D here though." Annabeth shrugged. "Even if he is a menace."

**"Mount Olympus," I said. "You're telling me there really is a palace there?"**

**"Well now, there's Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there's the home of the gods, the ****convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It's still ****called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the** **gods do."**

"I bet he's really confused now."

**"You mean the Greek gods are here? Like ... in **_**America**_**?"**

**"Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West."**

**"The what?"**

"See?"

**"Come now, Percy. What you call 'Western civilization.' Do you think it's just an abstract ****concept? No, it's a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of** **years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are** **tied so tightly to it that they couldn't possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were** **obliterated. **

"That doesn't really make any sense to me either." Leo mumbled.

"Nothing makes sense to you, Valdez." Piper told him.

**The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know—or as I hope you know, since** **you passed my course—the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different** **names, perhaps—Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on—but the same forces, the** **same gods."**

"Not really, no." Jason said. "As we now all know."

**"And then they died."**

Everyone snorted.

**"Died? No. Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a ****while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in** **England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods. Every place** **they've ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the** **most important buildings.**

"A bit obvious, don't you think." Nico frowned.

"Ummm…"

**And yes, Percy, of course they are now in your United States. Look at** **your symbol, the eagle of Zeus. Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, the** **Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city** **where the Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not—and** **believe me, plenty of people weren't very fond of Rome, either—America is now the heart of the** **flame. It is the great power of the West. And so Olympus is here. And we are here."**

"Nope! Weren't not here!" Connor smirked. "We're in Australia!"

"The continent that is smaller than some countries!" Travis joined in.

"And," he looked at Annabeth. "Is filled with man-eating spiders!"

Piper and Jason pushed over they're chairs.

**It was all too much, especially the fact that **_**I **_**seemed to be included in Chiron's **_**we, **_**as if I ****were part of some club.**

**"Who are you, Chiron? Who ... who am I?"**

"That's a good question, Perce." Thalia nodded.

"Didn't take long to find out." Clarisse muttered.

**Chiron smiled. He shifted his weight as if he were going to get up out of his wheelchair, but I** **knew that was impossible. He was paralyzed from the waist down.**

**"Who are you?" he mused. "Well, that's the question we all want answered, isn't it? But for ****now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of** **time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s'mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply** **adore chocolate."**

"I do too!" Rachel exclaimed. "And now I want some."

"Yumm! Chocolate…"

**And then he did rise from his wheelchair. But there was something odd about the way he did** **it. His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs didn't move. His waist kept getting longer,** **rising above his belt. At first, I thought he was wearing very long, white velvet underwear, **

"He has the weirdest explanations for things," Leo said. "I swear."

"I know. Long underwear. Really?" Thalia agreed.

**but as** **he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any man, I realized that the velvet underwear wasn't** **underwear; it was the front of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the** **wheelchair wasn't a chair. **

"Ooooo, I know what it is. It's. A. Uhhhh. Radio. Yes, a radio." Connor announced.

"What?"

**It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it** **must've been magic, because there's no way it could've held all of him. A leg came out, long and** **knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then hindquarters, and then the** **box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.**

"I really don't see how he fits most of a horse in there. I really don't." Nico said.

"It's magic!" Annabeth grinned. "No, literally. It's magic."

"Oh."

**I stared at the horse who had just sprung from the wheelchair: a huge white stallion. But ****where its neck should be was the upper body of my Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's** **trunk.**

**"What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen** **asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers."**

"That's it." Leo dropped the book and lied down. "I'm done with reading."

Piper sighed and picked it up. "I'll read next."

**And there it is. I'll try to post tomorrow night. Remember, review! Thanks for reading!**

**~Sid-Nilos **


	7. Chapter 7: Lord of the Bathroom

**Hey! I am so sorry that I haven't posted in the last few days. I ended up babysitting the last two nights, lot's of homework, craziness…but, now it's over and I can get back to writing, for the most part. **

**And someone asked about Percy and the deep sleep. Well, oops on me. I remembered it wrong. The chapter said he had woken up around 2 months ago at the wolf house. Now my conclusion, he woke up there after Jason, Leo, and Piper had that big battle but he couldn't have been there the whole time for obvious reasons. So he was like, asleep for a few days at least and being kept who knows where by Hera. So basically, Percy is either still asleep or just woke up, when this story takes place. Does that make any sense to you guys?**

**Well, anyways, on with the chapter and happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own PJO or HoO, Rick Riordan does.**

_**I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom**_

Piper laughed. "Someone has a big head."

"Ooh, you know what I want to be lord of," Travis said.

"Let me guess." Rachel rolled her eyes. "Pranks or something?"

"Noooooo! Candy! I wanna be the supreme lord of candy."

"You have no idea how lame you sound right now, dude." Connor rolled his eyes.

"Hey!"

**Once I got over the fact that my Latin teacher was a horse, **

"Yeah," Nico said. "That might take a while."

**we had a nice tour, though I was** **careful not to walk behind him. I'd done pooper-scooper patrol in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day** **Parade a few times, and, I'm sorry, I did not trust Chiron's back end the way I trusted his front.**

Annabeth snorted. "Real classy, Perce."

"I hate pooper-scooper patrol." Grover shuddered.

"Do I even want to know?" Jason asked.

"Probably not…"

**We passed the volleyball pit. Several of the campers nudged each other. One pointed to the ****minotaur horn I was carrying. Another said, "That's **_**him**_**."**

"You know, I think that was me." Connor laughed.

"You're kidding me?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all."

"Well done bro, you were one more cause of the inflation of his ego." Travis high-fived him.

Piper muttered something about idiots.

**Most of the campers were older than me. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover, all of ****them trotting around in orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their ****bare shaggy hindquarters. **

"What is it with Percy and shaggy hindquarters?" Grover brayed.

**I wasn't normally shy, but the way they stared at me made me** **uncomfortable. I felt like they were expecting me to do a flip or something.**

"I doubt you can do a flip, Percy." Rachel laughed.

"His move with jumping onto the minotaur was impressive though." Jason said.

"What till you see him with Anteaus." Annabeth smirked. "Something tells me you'll like that."

Grover's eyebrows scrunched together. "What?"

"It's in a different book." Annabeth told him.

**I looked back at the farmhouse. It was a lot bigger than I'd realized—four stories tall, sky blue** **with white trim, like an upscale seaside resort. **

"He would say seaside," Nico snorted.

**I was checking out the brass eagle weather vane on** **top when something caught my eye, a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable.**

**Something had moved the curtain, just for a second, and I got the distinct impression I was being** **watched.**

"Whoa. You have no idea how creepy that is." Thalia shuddered. Everyone who knew what had been up there nodded. "She was like, watching him."

"Who was?" Leo asked.

"I'm sure you'll find out," Thalia replied.

**"What's up there?" I asked Chiron.**

**He looked where I was pointing, and his smile faded. "Just the attic."**

**"Somebody lives there?"**

**"No," he said with finality. "Not a single living thing."**

"Okay, know I really want to know." Leo whined.

"Calm down, Valdez." Piper said.

**I got the feeling he was being truthful. But I was also sure something had moved that curtain.**

"Stalker!" Travis shouted.

**"Come along, Percy," Chiron said, his lighthearted tone now a little forced. "Lots to see."**

**We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.**

"I wonder what kind of tune he's playing?" Annabeth wondered.

**Chiron told me the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount ****Olympus. "It pays our expenses," he explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort."**

**He said Mr. D had this effect on fruit-bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was ****around. **

"Literally." Nico snorted. "One time I accidently shadow-traveled into the fields and as Mr. D walked by, the vines and such started crawling up my legs and arms. Not fun."

"Did he help you?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah right. No, he just kept walking and when he was gone, they stopped."

**It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr. D was restricted from growing those, so they** **grew strawberries instead.**

**I watched the satyr playing his pipe. His music was causing lines of bugs to leave the ****strawberry patch in every direction, like refugees fleeing a fire.**

"I have my answer," Annabeth muttered.

"Why are you talking to yourself, Annie?" Connor teased.

"Don't call me Annie!" Annabeth growled.

**I wondered if Grover could work** **that kind of magic with music. I wondered if he was still inside the farmhouse, getting chewed** **out by Mr. D.**

"To that I was." Grover nodded.

"Was it bad?" Piper asked.

"Uhhh, not that bad." Grover lied.

**"Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he?" I asked Chiron. "I mean ... he was a good ****protector. Really."**

"Thanks, Perce." Grover smiled.

**Chiron sighed. He shed his tweed jacket and draped it over his horses back like a saddle.**

**"Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than are reasonable. To reach his goal, he must** **first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing** **him safely to Half-Blood Hill."**

"He did that though," Leo said.

Piper snorted.

**"But he did that!"**

"See?"

**"I might agree with you," Chiron said. "But it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the ****Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I'm afraid they might not see this assignment as a success.** **After all, Grover lost you in New York. Then there's the unfortunate ... ah ... fate of your mother.**

"Love the way he says that," Nico rolled his eyes. "So insensitive."

"He was talking about," Annabeth looked at Jason, Leo, and Piper. "Well, you should know what he was talking about."

"Whatever." Nico rolled his eyes again.

**And the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The** **council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."**

Grover pouted. "Well if Zeus hadn't struck the car with lightning, I wouldn't have been unconscious."

"Thanks a lot dad," Thalia laughed.

**I wanted to protest. None of what happened was Grover's fault. I also felt really, really guilty.**

**If I hadn't given Grover the slip at the bus station, he might not have gotten in trouble.**

"It's good to know he was guilty." Grover nodded.

"Grover," Travis said innocently. "Do we need to put you in a mental hospital?"

"Oh shut up."

**"He'll get a second chance, won't he?"**

**Chiron winced. **

As did Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover.

**"I'm afraid that **_**was **_**Grover's second chance, Percy. The council was not** **anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus** **knows, I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He's still so small for his age... "**

**"How old is he?"**

"That's what I'd like to know." Leo wondered.

**"Oh, twenty-eight."**

"What?" Piper gasped.

**"What! And he's in sixth grade?"**

"Exactly!" Piper and Leo said together and Jason laughed.

**"Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Percy. Grover has been the equivalent of a middle ****school student for the past six years."**

"That is the most horrible thing I can imagine." Rachel said with wide eyes.

"You know what's horrible," Connor grinned. "When a teacher asks you if you would rather be trapped in a body-sized box full of spiders or maggots. I mean, they're both so horrible that it's impossible to choose."

"Connor, we're reading a book here." Thalia said. "This isn't the time."

**"That's horrible."**

**"Quite," Chiron agreed. "At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and ****not yet very accomplished at woodland magic. Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps** **now he will find some other career... ."**

"What other career can a satyr have?" Nico wondered.

"I have no idea." Thalia said.

Grover shook his head.

**"That's not fair," I said. "What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?"**

**Chiron looked away quickly. "Let's move along, shall we?"**

"Wow, he's absolutely horrible and subtle subject changing." Travis noticed.

"So he's good at lying and bad at this." Connor thought. "Maybe he needs lessons too."

**But I wasn't quite ready to let the subject drop. Something had occurred to me when Chiron ****talked about my mother's fate, as if he were intentionally avoiding the word **_**death. **_**The** **beginnings of an idea—a tiny, hopeful fire—started forming in my mind.**

"Uh oh," Rachel laughed. "Everybody run."

"Rachel, this is serious." Annabeth sighed. "See what he says."

**"Chiron," I said. "If the gods and Olympus and all that are real ..."**

**"Yes, child?"**

**"Does that mean the Underworld is real, too?"**

"Oh," Rachel's eyes widened. "He does not!"

Annabeth and Grover nodded.

**Chiron's expression darkened.**

**"Yes, child." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "There is a place where spirits go** **after death. But for now ... until we know more . . . I would urge you to put that out of your** **mind."**

"Until we know more?" Clarisse asked. "What?"

"Have you been paying attention to this chapter?" Jason asked.

"Not really, no."

**"What do you mean, 'until we know more'?"**

"He's experiencing it and yet he doesn't understand either." Clarisse pointed out.

"Well that's because he's Percy." Annabeth laughed.

**"Come, Percy. Let's see the woods."**

**As we got closer, I realized how huge the forest was. It took up at least a quarter of the valley,** **with trees so tall and thick, you could imagine nobody had been in there since the Native** **Americans.**

"Unless you count us." Thalia said.

"If you don't though-" Nico added.

"Then, yeah. Pretty much." Annabeth finished.

**Chiron said, "The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed."**

**"Stocked with what?" I asked. "Armed with what?"**

"He's very slow." Piper noted.

"At the start, yeah." Annabeth laughed.

**"You'll see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?"**

**"My own—?"**

**"No," Chiron said. "I don't suppose you do. I think a size five will do. I'll visit the armory ****later."**

**I wanted to ask what kind of summer camp had an armory,**

"Ours does!" Leo, Travis, and Connor yelled.

**but there was too much else to** **think about, so the tour continued. We saw the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables** **(which Chiron didn't seem to like very much), **

"Well, no duh." Rachel rolled her eyes.

**the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and** **the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.**

**"Sword and spear fights?" I asked.**

**"Cabin challenges and all that," he explained. "Not lethal. Usually. **

"So reassuring." Jason snorted.

"I think my cabin makes it more awesome." Clarisse smirked.

"Of course you do," Annabeth muttered.

"What did you just say, Wise girl?"

"Nothing…"

**Oh, yes, and there's the** **mess hall."**

**Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking ****the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. No roof. No walls.**

**"What do you do when it rains?" I asked.**

**Chiron looked at me as if I'd gone a little weird. "We still have to eat, don't we?" I decided to** **drop the subject.**

**Finally, he showed me the cabins. There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the ****lake.**

"What?" Piper exclaimed. "There's a lot more than that."

"This happened like 5 years ago," Nico said. "Things have changed."

**They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they** **were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen.**

"They are really weird to look at," Leo nodded.

**Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side,** **evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory. **

"Oh yeah!" Leo pumped a fist.

**Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass. **

**Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at. **

"Pretty much like Apollo's teeth," Thalia laughed.

"They're so shiny," Connor swooned.

"Whoa, dude, snap out of it." Travis snapped in front of him and Connor sat up with a confused glance.

**They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek ****statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops (which were more my speed).**

"Hey, me too." Jason grinned.

Annabeth smiled. She was glad that Jason seemed to like Percy.

**In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined firepit. Even though it was a warm afternoon,** **the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a** **stick.**

"So he did notice her." Nico realized.

"Who is it?" Piper asked.

"Hestia."

"Oh, Vesta." Jason acknowledged.

**The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers ****mausoleums, **

"Well, that's cause they are." Annabeth sighed.

**big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest and** **bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a hologram, so that from** **different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them. **

"Hate it," Jason muttered.

"I know what you mean, bro." Thalia nodded.

**Cabin two was more graceful** **somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were** **carved with images of peacocks.**

"Hate _her_." It was Annabeth turn to say and Thalia nodded again.

**"Zeus and Hera?" I guessed.**

**"Correct," Chiron said.**

**"Their cabins look empty."**

"No duh, Kelp head." Clarisse snorted.

**"Several of the cabins are. That's true. No one ever stays in one or two."**

**Okay. So each cabin had a different god, like a mascot. Twelve cabins for the twelve ****Olympians. But why would some be empty?**

"He really did not get the whole concept at first." Rachel said.

"I think it was more of the fact that he didn't want to believe." Annabeth replied.

**I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three.**

Thalia smiled. "Of course he would."

**It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of** **rough gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight** **from the bottom of the ocean floor. **

"Ughh, that's so unfair." Jason grumbled. "The Zeus cabin is super creepy and cold. I hate sleeping in there."

**I peeked inside the open doorway and Chiron said, "Oh, I** **wouldn't do that!"**

**Before he could pull me back, I caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the ****shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone. **

"Pretty," Rachel smiled.

"And cozy," Piper added.

**There were six empty bunk beds with** **silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. The place felt so sad** **and lonely, I was glad when Chiron put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."**

"I think he knew who Percy was even then." Annabeth said.

"Probably," Grover agreed.

**Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers.**

"Especially Hermes," Connor scowled.

**Number five was bright red—a real nasty paint job, as if the color had been splashed on with** **buckets and fists.**

Clarisse smiled proudly. "That's cause it was."

**The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the** **doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me. **

"Creepy," Leo frowned.

**Inside I could see a bunch of mean-looking kids,** **both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared. The** **loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen. She wore a size XXXL CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt** **under a camouflage jacket. **

"And Clarisse enters the story," Travis said.

"Dun dun dun." Connor drum-rolled.

"Can it, punks." Clarisse grunted.

**She zeroed in on me and gave me an evil sneer. She reminded** **me of Nancy Bobofit, though the camper girl was much bigger and tougher looking, and her hair** **was long and stringy, and brown instead of red.**

"I take offence to that." Clarisse scowled. "I'm nothing like that wimp."

"We know, Clarisse. We know." Annabeth sighed.

**I kept walking, trying to stay clear of Chiron's hooves. "We haven't seen any other centaurs,"** **I observed.**

**"No," said Chiron sadly. "My kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk, I'm afraid. You might ****encounter them in the wilderness, or at major sporting events. But you won't see any here."**

"The Party Ponies are really awesome!" Connor smiled.

"Party Ponies?" Leo asked.

"Uh huh!"

**"You said your name was Chiron. Are you really ..."**

**He smiled down at me. **_**"The **_**Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes, ****Percy, I am."**

**"But, shouldn't you be dead?"**

"So tactless, Percy." Thalia laughed.

"It's a good question," Nico mumbled.

**Chiron paused, as if the question intrigued him. "I honestly don't know about **_**should **_**be. The** **truth is, I **_**can't **_**be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I** **loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that** **wish ... and I gave up much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume I'm still needed."**

"Definitely," Annabeth nodded. "I don't know what we'd do without him."

**I thought about being a teacher for three thousand years. It wouldn't have made my Top Ten** **Things to Wish For list.**

Travis shuddered. "Mine neither."

"Especially if it was a school teacher," Connor added.

**"Doesn't it ever get boring?"**

**"No, no," he said. "Horribly depressing, at times, but never boring."**

**"Why depressing?"**

"What a stupid question," Rachel shook her head.

"He didn't know how the life of a half-blood was yet." Annabeth said defensively.

"True that," Rachel agreed.

**Chiron seemed to turn hard of hearing again.**

**"Oh, look," he said. "Annabeth is waiting for us."**

**The blond girl **

"Really Percy?" Annabeth smirked. "I'm still the 'blond girl'?"

**I'd met at the Big House was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left,** **number eleven.**

**When we reached her, she looked me over critically, like she was still thinking about how ****much I drooled.**

"I was not!" Annabeth declared.

"Bet you were thinking about him though." Connor muttered.

"A lot," Travis added.

She glared at them, but didn't deny it.

**I tried to see what she was reading, but I couldn't make out the title. I thought my dyslexia ****was acting up. Then I realized the title wasn't even English. The letters looked Greek to me. I** **mean, literally Greek. There were pictures of temples and statues and different kinds of columns,** **like those in an architecture book.**

"Hmm, Annabeth with an architecture book. What has the world come to?" Nico gasped.

"I know, it's a miracle right?" Leo chuckled.

**"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from**

**here?"**

**"Yes, sir."**

**"Cabin eleven," Chiron told me, gesturing toward the doorway. "Make yourself at home."**

**Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the ****emphasis on **_**old. **_

"Hey!" Travis complained.

"Our cabin is the best of them all!" Connor said.

"No it isn't," Leo smirked.

"Really guys?" Piper asked. "Really?"

**The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was** **one of those doctor's symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. What did theycall it... ? A caduceus.**

"Oh yeah!" Connor pumped a fist.

Travis got up and started dancing and singing. "We rock, we rock, we rock!"

Clarisse pushed him back into his chair.

**Inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk ****beds. Sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. It looked like a gym where the Red Cross** **had set up an evacuation center.**

"That is too true." Connor said.

**Chiron didn't go in. The door was too low for him. But when the campers saw him they all ****stood and bowed respectfully.**

**"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner."**

**He galloped away toward the archery range.**

**I stood in the doorway, looking at the kids. They weren't bowing anymore. **

"Did you expect them to?" Thalia laughed.

**They were staring** **at me, sizing me up. I knew this routine. I'd gone through it at enough schools.**

**"Well?" Annabeth prompted. "Go on."**

**So naturally I tripped coming in the door and made a total fool of myself. **

Everyone laughed.

"Only Percy would do that," Rachel smiled.

**There were some** **snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything.**

**Annabeth announced, "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven."**

**"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked.**

**I didn't know what to say, **

"Of course he didn't." Nico said.

"He had it all under control," Leo nodded.

"What?" Everyone asked.

"Nothing…"

**but Annabeth said, "Undetermined."**

**Everybody groaned.**

"Well that wasn't very nice." Grover commented.

"Well, we're always so crowded in there…" Travis said.

**A guy who was a little older than the rest came forward. "Now, now, campers. That's what ****we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."**

"Great spot to sleep, great spot." Piper rolled her eyes.

"That was all that was left." Connor told her.

**The guy was about nineteen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular, with shortcropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a** **leather necklace with five different-colored clay beads. The only thing unsettling about his** **appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old** **knife slash.**

Everyone who knew what Luke had done tensed.

**"This is Luke," Annabeth said, and her voice sounded different somehow. I glanced over and** **could've sworn she was blushing. **

"I was not blushing, thank you very much." Annabeth sniffed.

"Oh you so were." Travis laughed and he got a pillow in the face.

**She saw me looking, and her expression hardened again. "He's** **your counselor for now."**

**"For now?" I asked.**

"So clueless," Rachel shook her head.

**"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in,** **so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our** **patron, is the god of travelers."**

"He's way more than that!" Travis smiled proudly.

"We know, dude," Leo said.

**I looked at the tiny section of floor they'd given me. I had nothing to put there to mark it as ****my own, no luggage, no clothes, no sleeping bag. Just the Minotaur's horn. I thought about setting** **that down, **

"Do it!" Connor yelled.

**but then I remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves.**

"God dammit." Connor pouted.

"Really, bro?" Travis asked.

**I looked around at the campers' faces, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning stupidly, ****some eyeing me as if they were waiting for a chance to pick my pockets.**

"They probably were," Grover laughed.

**"How long will I be here?" I asked.**

**"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."**

**"How long will that take?"**

**The campers all laughed.**

As did everyone in the room.

"Shows how much he liked it there." Jason smiled.

**"Come on," Annabeth told me. "I'll show you the volleyball court."**

**"I've already seen it."**

**"Come on." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside. I could hear the kids of cabin ****eleven laughing behind me.**

"It was quite amusing," Travis said.

"I'm sure it was," Annabeth smiled.

**When we were a few feet away, Annabeth said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."**

**"What?"**

**She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the ****one."**

Everyone but Annabeth laughed.

"But dear Annabeth, he is the one." Connor said sweetly.

"In more ways than just you leaving camp." Travis nodded.

Annabeth sighed.

**"What's your problem?" I was getting angry now. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy—"**

**"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth told me. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd** **had your chance?"**

"You wanted to fight him?" Piper asked incredulously.

Annabeth fidgeted. "Well, at that time I had barely been out in the world. Of course when Percy came, I was out there more than I was at camp normally."

"Percy's your hero," Leo fluttered his eyelashes.

"You got a problem with that." Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"…nope."

**"To get killed?"**

**"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"**

**I shook my head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was **_**the **_**Minotaur, the same one in the ****stories ..."**

"Here we go." Nico laughed.

**"Yes."**

**"Then there's only one."**

**"Yes."**

**"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So ..."**

**"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die."**

"It may make sense now, but you have no idea how confusing that sounds." Rachel said.

**"Oh, thanks. That clears it up."**

"See?"

**"They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a ****whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes.**

**Eventually, they re-form."**

**I thought about Mrs. Dodds. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword—"**

**"The Fur ... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her ****very, very mad."**

"How did you know that?" Thalia asked and to everyone's surprise, Annabeth blushed.

**"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"**

**"You talk in your sleep."**

"You watched him while he slept?" Connor laughed.

Annabeth was bright red. "I was bringing him back to health, I had to."

"Sure you did," Travis said slyly.

**"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"**

"They're so misunderstood." Nico shook his head.

"Really, Niccy?" Thalia smirked.

"Don't call me that!"

**Annabeth glanced nervously at the ground, as if she expected it to open up and swallow her.**

"Would it?" Leo asked.

Annabeth thought about it. "It's possible."

**"You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak** **of them at all."**

**"Look, is there anything we **_**can **_**say without it thundering?" I sounded whiny, **

"That's cause you are whiny." Clarisse reasoned.

**even to myself,** **but right then I didn't care. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so** **crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."**

"Clueless, clueless, clueless," Rachel mumbled.

**I pointed to the first few cabins, and Annabeth turned pale. "You don't just choose a cabin, ****Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or ... your parent."**

**She stared at me, waiting for me to get it.**

"He's not going to, I'm guessing." Thalia looked at Annabeth who nodded.

**"My mom is Sally Jackson," I said. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. ****At least, she used to."**

**"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other ****parent. Your dad."**

**"He's dead. I never knew him."**

**Annabeth sighed. Clearly, she'd had this conversation before with other kids. "Your father's ****not dead, Percy."**

**"How can you say that? You know him?"**

"How he deduced that, I'll never know." Nico laughed.

"Well, that's Percy for you." Grover said.

**"No, of course not."**

**"Then how can you say—"**

**"Because I know **_**you. **_**You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."**

**"You don't know anything about me."**

"Wrong Percy. Annabeth knows _everything_ about you." Travis said.

"Yup, she's a stalker." Connor reasoned.

"Cut it out you two." Piper snapped.

**"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were** **kicked out of a lot of them."**

**"How—"**

**"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."**

**I tried to swallow my embarrassment. "What does that have to do with anything?"**

"Everything, Perce." Rachel said. "Just about everything."

**"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? ****That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. **

"Be that as it may," Nico said. "I still hate it."

"Ditto." Everyone but a few people agreed.

**And the ADHD—you're impulsive,** **can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you** **alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your** **senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of** **them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."**

"Monsters medicate people?" Leo asked.

"That's just too weird." Piper exclaimed.

"Tell me about it." Jason grumbled.

"Have experience with that Jason?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.

Jason scowled. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

**"You sound like ... you went through the same thing?"**

**"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, ****much less the ambrosia and nectar."**

**"Ambrosia and nectar."**

"Yes Percy, A and N." Connor nodded. "You had some, remember?"

**"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a ****normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face** **it. You're a half-blood."**

**A half-blood.**

"Yup." Clarisse said. "A half-blood."

**I was reeling with so many questions I didn't know where to start.**

**Then a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"**

"I wonder who that could be." Rachel said sarcastically.

**I looked over. The big girl from the ugly red cabin was sauntering toward us. She had three ****other girls behind her, all big and ugly and mean looking like her, all wearing camo jackets.**

**"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"**

"Oh man, I just realized what happens." Clarisse groaned.

Annabeth laughed evilly. "I bet you did."

"Do I have to listen to this?" Clarisse asked.

"Are you backing away from a challenge?" Annabeth taunted.

"Why you little-" Clarisse started to go at it, but a bright light filled the room and when it went away, Clarisse was gone.

"What in hades just happened?" Nico shook his head.

"I think Clarisse got her wish." Thalia laughed.

"Do you think she'll be back?" Jason asked.

"I guess we'll see." Piper replied.

**"Sure, Miss Princess," the big girl said. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."**

_**''Erre es korakas!" **_**Annabeth said, which I somehow understood was Greek for 'Go to the ****crows!' though I had a feeling it was a worse curse than it sounded. **

"That is true." Annabeth smiled.

"Annabeth, language!" Connor gasped.

**"You don't stand a chance."**

**"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. Perhaps she wasn't sure she could** **follow through on the threat. **

"I love how he notices all the little details and never the big picture." Rachel laughed.

"That's why I'm so surprised he's still alive." Nico nodded.

**She turned toward me. "Who's this little runt?"**

**"Percy Jackson," Annabeth said, "meet Clarisse, daughter of Ares."**

**I blinked. "Like ... the war god?"**

"So slow," Thalia grinned.

**Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"**

**"No," I said, recovering my wits. "It explains the bad smell."**

Everyone laughed.

"Good thing Clarisse left." Leo said.

"She already heard it once from him." Piper reminded him.

"Right."

**Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."**

**"Percy."**

**"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."**

**"Clarisse—" Annabeth tried to say.**

**"Stay out of it, wise girl."**

Everyone but Jason, Leo, and Piper gasped while Annabeth laughed.

"What?" Leo asked.

"So it wasn't Percy who came up with that." Thalia smiled.

"Nope." Annabeth said.

"Wow, never knew that."

**Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it, and I didn't really want her help. I was the** **new kid. I had to earn my own rep.**

Jason nodded, at least Percy would be fine on his own and wouldn't rely on others at Camp Jupiter.

**I handed Annabeth my minotaur horn and got ready to fight, but before I knew it, Clarisse ****had me by the neck and was dragging me toward a cinder-block building that I knew immediately** **was the bathroom.**

"Now I get the name of the chapter." Connor realized.

"No duh!" Travis rolled his eyes.

**I was kicking and punching. I'd been in plenty of fights before, but this big girl Clarisse had ****hands like iron. She dragged me into the girls' bathroom. There was a line of toilets on one side** **and a line of shower stalls down the other. It smelled just like any public bathroom, and I was** **thinking—as much as I **_**could **_**think with Clarisse ripping my hair out—that if this place belonged** **to the gods, they should've been able to afford classier johns.**

"That's a good thought." Nico said.

"Yeah, I hate the bathrooms here." Thalia agreed.

**Clarisse's friends were all laughing, and I was trying to find the strength I'd used to fight the** **Minotaur, but it just wasn't there.**

"That's cause you're not fighting for your life," Rachel reasoned.

"He has plenty of strength though," Annabeth said.

**"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed me toward one of the toilets. ****"Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking."**

Everyone snickered, except Annabeth who knew what would happen.

**Her friends snickered.**

**Annabeth stood in the corner, watching through her fingers.**

"I was not!" Annabeth growled.

"Sure you weren't wise girl…" Travis grinned.

"Not you too."

**Clarisse bent me over on my knees and started pushing my head toward the toilet bowl. It ****reeked like rusted pipes and, well, like what goes into toilets. **

"Pleasant." Piper wrinkled her nose.

**I strained to keep my head up. I was** **looking at the scummy water, thinking, I will not go into that. I won't.**

"So stubborn," Thalia laughed.

**Then something happened. I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach. I heard the plumbing rumble,** **the pipes shudder. **

"Here we go." Connor rubbed his hands together.

**Clarisse's grip on my hair loosened. Water shot out of the toilet, making an arc** **straight over my head, and the next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the bathroom tiles with** **Clarisse screaming behind me.**

Everyone laughed and Leo yelled "Go Percy!"

**I turned just as water blasted out of the toilet again, hitting Clarisse straight in the face so ****hard it pushed her down onto her butt. The water stayed on her like the spray from a fire hose,** **pushing her backward into a shower stall.**

"Fire hose? Really?" Nico grinned.

"Does little Percy want to be a fireman when he grows up?" Travis asked.

Connor shook his head. "Dude, you're talking to the book."

**She struggled, gasping, and her friends started coming toward her. But then the other toilets** **exploded, too, and six more streams of toilet water blasted them back. The showers acted up, too,** **and together all the fixtures sprayed the camouflage girls right out of the bathroom, spinning them around like pieces of garbage being washed away.**

"Great description!" Grover clapped.

**As soon as they were out the door, I felt the tug in my gut lessen, and the water shut off as ****quickly as it had started.**

"Those are some awesome powers!" Leo exclaimed.

"That's nothing," Annabeth said. "Just wait till he learns more about them."

**The entire bathroom was flooded. Annabeth hadn't been spared. She was dripping wet, but ****she hadn't been pushed out the door. She was standing in exactly the same place, staring at me in** **shock.**

"It was pretty surprising," Annabeth said.

**I looked down and realized I was sitting in the only dry spot in the whole room. There was a** **circle of dry floor around me. I didn't have one drop of water on my clothes. Nothing.**

"You know," Thalia realized. "I don't see how know one figured it out after that."

"Why?" Nico asked.

"I mean, come on. Controlling water. Not getting wet. Defeating the Minotaur like that. It seems pretty obvious to me."

**I stood up, my legs shaky.**

**Annabeth said, "How did you ..."**

**"I don't know."**

"I do!" Connor sang.

**We walked to the door. Outside, Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud, and a ****bunch of other campers had gathered around to gawk. Clarisse's hair was flattened across her** **face. Her camouflage jacket was sopping and she smelled like sewage. She gave me a look of** **absolute hatred. "You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead."**

"And this is where Annabeth got her brilliant inspiration," Grover said.

"For?" Piper asked.

"You'll see." Annabeth said slyly.

**I probably should have let it go, but I said, "You want to gargle with toilet water again, ****Clarisse? Close your mouth."**

Everyone laughed.

"That was stupid." Rachel shook her head.

"But it did help us win." Travis said.

"True that."

**Her friends had to hold her back. They dragged her toward cabin five, while the other ****campers made way to avoid her flailing feet.**

"Wow, they stopped her." Jason raised his eyebrows. "Didn't think they would."

"Yeah, that was surprising too." Annabeth said.

**Annabeth stared at me. I couldn't tell whether she was just grossed out or angry at me for ****dousing her.**

**"What?" I demanded. "What are you thinking?"**

**"I'm thinking," She said, "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."**

"And the plan is set forth." Connor laughed.

"Chapter's over," Piper put down the book.

"Do you think Clarisse will be brought back?" Leo asked.

A piece of paper appeared in the air and floated down to the table. Rachel grabbed it and read it:

"_Dear demigods,_

_For your sanity and mine, I'm going to keep Clarisse away for a while. She may be back…she may not. Happy reading!"_

_~Sid-Nilos"_

"Well, there's your answer." Annabeth said. "Who wants to read next?"

"I will." Rachel said and picked up the book.

**There you have it, chapter over. I'll try to write another chapter tonight and past tomorrow, but I have a French quiz tomorrow that I haven't yet studied for so, we'll see. But keep your hopes up! Let me know your thoughts.**

**~Sid-Nilos**


	8. Chapter 8: My Dinner Goes Up in Smoke

**Hell again readers! It's been a good day…no English homework and I got perfect on my French quiz. I'm inspired to write more. So yeah, thanks for the comments, they're awesome! R&R…**

**Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances, own PJO or HoO. Rick Riordan owns it all, that lucky dude.**

_**My Dinner Goes up in Smoke**_

Connor started laughing.

"What?" Travis asked.

"Oh nothing, just this book I read."

"You read?" Rachel asked innocently.

"Haha, very funny."

**Word of the bathroom incident spread immediately. Wherever I went, campers pointed at me and** **murmured something about toilet water. Or maybe they were just staring at Annabeth, who was** **still pretty much dripping wet.**

"That musta sucked." Piper said.

"Yup, it was just awesome." Annabeth said sarcastically.

**She showed me a few more places: the metal shop (where kids were forging their own ****swords), **

"Oh yeah!" Leo yelled.

**the arts-and-crafts room (where satyrs were sandblasting a giant marble statue of a goatman),**

"Really Perce?" Grover rolled his eyes. "Goatman? It was Pan!"

"Pam? Like the cooking spray?" Leo asked.

Annabeth and Grover snorted. "That's exactly what Percy said the first time he heard the name."

"But, no. Pan, the god of the wild places." Grover said.

"Oh, the one who…gotcha."

**and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently,** **dropped boulders, sprayed lava, and clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough.**

"I love climbing that." Grover said happily.

"I don't," Jason grumbled. "I can barely get to the top without dying."

**Finally we returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.**

**"I've got training to do," Annabeth said flatly. "Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your ****cabin to the mess hall."**

"Well, someone's not happy." Travis said sweetly.

Connor smiled. "Is Annabeth mad at her favourite person ever?"

"Oh shut it."

**"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets."**

**"Whatever."**

**"It wasn't my fault."**

Thalia snorted. "Oh yeah, not your fault at all."

**She looked at me skeptically, and I realized it **_**was **_**my fault. I'd made water shoot out of the ****bathroom fixtures. I didn't understand how. But the toilets had responded to me. **

"Toilets," Connor raised his hands. "Respond to me."

**I had become** **one with the plumbing.**

"And plumbing," Travis added. "Become one with me."

"You too are so weird." Piper laughed.

"Get used to it," Rachel told her.

**"You need to talk to the Oracle," Annabeth said.**

**"Who?"**

**"Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron."**

"The oracle was a 'what'?" Jason asked.

"Well, kind of." Annabeth said.

"Blame dad." Nico mumbled.

Leo shook his head. "I'm so confused."

**I stared into the lake, wishing somebody would give me a straight answer for once.**

**I wasn't expecting anybody to be looking back at me from the bottom, so my heart skipped a** **beat when I noticed two teenage girls sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier, about twenty** **feet below. **

"Ummm, what?" Rachel asked.

"Naiads," Annabeth replied.

"Oh. Fail on me."

**They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated** **loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled and waved as if I were a** **long-lost friend.**

"He kind of is." Thalia said.

**I didn't know what else to do. I waved back.**

**"Don't encourage them," Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible flirts."**

"Is our Annabeth jealous?" Travis asked.

"There's no reason to be jealous, girl." Connor grinned. "He's _all_ yours."

Annabeth threw a pillow at them.

**"Naiads," I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. "That's it. I want to go home now."**

Everyone snickered.

**Annabeth frowned. "Don't you get it, Percy? You **_**are **_**home. This is the only safe place on ****earth for kids like us."**

**"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"**

"That too." Connor said.

"We are mentally disturbed," Travis added. "In theory anyway."

**"I mean **_**not human. **_**Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."**

**"Half-human and half-what?"**

"Donkey," Connor said. "Definitely donkey."

"Hey!"

**"I think you know."**

**I didn't want to admit it, but I was afraid I did. I felt a tingling in my limbs, a sensation I ****sometimes felt when my mom talked about my dad.**

"Huh," Annabeth said. "That's interesting."

"I got the same feeling." Nico frowned. "…once."

**"God," I said. "Half-god."**

**Annabeth nodded. "Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."**

**"That's ... crazy."**

"No," Travis reasoned. "You're crazy."

"Please," Rachel scoffed. "If anyone is crazy, it's you two."

"We take offence to that." Connor said. "We're crazy awesome!"

**"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in ****love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the** **last few millennia?"**

"I doubt they'll ever change their habits." Jason shook his head.

**"But those are just—" I almost said **_**myths **_**again. Then I remembered Chiron's warning that in** **two thousand years, **_**I **_**might be considered a myth. "But if all the kids here are half-gods—"**

"Half-gods is soooo stupid sounding." Connor said. "Am I right or am I right?"

**"Demigods," Annabeth said. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."**

**"Then who's your dad?"**

"Fail Percy!" Grover laughed.

"So clueless," Rachel muttered.

**Her hands tightened around the pier railing. I got the feeling I'd just trespassed on a sensitive** **subject.**

"Not so much anymore." Annabeth said.

"That's good." Piper smiled.

**"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. ****He teaches American history."**

**"He's human."**

**"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist** **is that?"**

"Very sexist." Thalia said.

**"Who's your mom, then?"**

**"Cabin six."**

"I doubt he'd understand that." Nico laughed.

"He didn't."

**"Meaning?"**

**Annabeth straightened. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."**

**Okay, I thought. Why not?**

"What's that supposed to mean?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"I think he's just getting over his shock," Rachel told her.

**"And my dad?"**

**"Undetermined," Annabeth said, "like I told you before. Nobody knows."**

"Though people really should know by now," Thalia mumbled.

**"Except my mother. She knew."**

**"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities."**

"Who knew I would be wrong." Annabeth laughed.

"Annabeth was wrong?" Travis gasped.

"I think it's a first," Connor said.

"Well, when Percy appeared, everything changed." Grover laughed.

"That is so true," Nico said. "I would still be stuck in that stupid hotel thing. Ughh."

"Hotel thing?" Jason asked.

"Oh, you'll see in this book." Annabeth's expression darkened.

**"My dad would have. He loved her."**

**Annabeth gave me a cautious look. She didn't want to burst my bubble. "Maybe you're right.** **Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign** **claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens."**

"Sometimes it doesn't?" Leo asked.

"Uh huh." Various people muttered.

**"You mean sometimes it doesn't?"**

**Annabeth ran her palm along the rail. "The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they ****don't always ... Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us."**

**I thought about some of the kids I'd seen in the Hermes cabin, teenagers who looked sullen ****and depressed, as if they were waiting for a call that would never come. I'd known kids like that** **at Yancy Academy, shuffled off to boarding school by rich parents who didn't have the time to** **deal with them. But gods should behave better.**

"You think they would, wouldn't you?" Thalia shook her head.

"Yeah. And it's only thanks to Seaweed Brain here that it's any better." Annabeth smiled.

"I still can't believe he did that," Grover said dazed.

Annabeth smirked slightly. "I'm glad he did."

**"So I'm stuck here," I said. "That's it? For the rest of my life?"**

"Not at all, Perce." Nico chuckled.

**"It depends," Annabeth said. "Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of**

**Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force."**

"Hey!" Piper scowled.

Annabeth smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Normally it's true. You're different."

"**The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. **

"You know, how does Percy manage to live in the mortal world during the school year?" Nico asked. "He attracts monsters like he's a piece of bacon. He should be dead by now."

"He should be dead numerous times really." Annabeth laughed. "Hmm, let's see. Falling out of the arch, fighting a certain god, going to the underworld twice, landing almost on top of an exploding boat, holding the sky, fighting a certain 3 titans, blowing up a volcano and being shot into the sky like confetti, the trip to the river, and about a million other things."

"Whoa, you lost me at falling out of the arch." Leo shook his head.

"How is he still alive?" Jason asked incredulously.

"We have no idea." Thalia said.

"Moving on." Rachel continued to read.

**They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us** **until we're old enough to cause trouble—about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most** **demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the** **outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some** **don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."**

"Like who?" Piper asked.

"Uh, that's Annabeth's job." Rachel said.

"I don't feel like getting into it right now. Later." Annabeth answered.

**"So monsters can't get in here?"**

**Annabeth shook her head. "Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially** **summoned by somebody on the inside."**

**"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?"**

**"Practice fights. Practical jokes."**

"Also, 'try to kill the new guy' plans." Travis grumbled.

"That wasn't pretty." Connor muttered.

"Tell me about it." Annabeth agreed.

"Whoa, she just agreed with them. What happened?" Nico asked.

"I'm sure you'll find out."

**"Practical jokes?"**

**"The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, ****mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm."**

**"So ... you're a year-rounder?"**

**Annabeth nodded. From under the collar of her T-shirt she pulled a leather necklace with five** **clay beads of different colors. It was just like Luke's, except Annabeth's also had a big gold ring** **strung on it, like a college ring.**

"Your dad's?" Jason asked.

"Yup."

**"I've been here since I was seven," she said. "Every August, on the last day of summer ****session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the ****counselors, and they're all in college."**

"Wow, you've been here a long time." Leo said.

"And through the two great prophecies of time." Piper exclaimed.

Annabeth frowned. "Mhmm, lucky me."

**"Why did you come so young?"**

**She twisted the ring on her necklace. "None of your business."**

**"Oh." I stood there for a minute in uncomfortable silence. "So ... I could just walk out of here** **right now if I wanted to?"**

"Stupid idea, Perce." Nico said.

"He has done that before you know?" Thalia asked,

"I know, I told him to."

"Well then…"

**"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't ****give permission until the end of the summer session unless ..."**

**"Unless?"**

**"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time ..."**

"Funny isn't it, how once the quests started up again, and until that winter/summer before the prophecy, the only people who got quests were Percy and company and Clarisse." Grover mused.

"Well, technically Percy wasn't supposed to go on two of them." Thalia said.

"Still, you know I have a point."

"That you do."

**Her voice trailed off. I could tell from her tone that the last time hadn't gone well.**

**"Back in the sick room," I said, "when you were feeding me that stuff—"**

**"Ambrosia."**

**"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."**

"There he goes." Travis said.

**Annabeth's shoulders tensed. "So you **_**do **_**know something?"**

**"Well... no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover ****mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the** **deadline. What did that mean?"**

"I wish I knew." Leo mumbled.

"I'm sure you'll find out in a chapter or two." Annabeth told him.

**She clenched her fists. "I wish I knew. **

Almost everyone laughed.

**Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell ****me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything** **seemed so **_**normal**_**."**

**"You've been to Olympus?"**

**"Some of us year-rounders—Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others—we took a field trip ****during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."**

"Last time I went to it, they debated whether or not to kill me and Percy." Thalia smiled.

"You're serious?" Jason asked.

"Unfortunately."

**"But... how did you get there?"**

**"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, ****special elevator to the six hundredth floor." She looked at me like she was sure I must know this** **already. "You **_**are **_**a New Yorker, right?"**

"Ya know Annabeth, not everyone already knows where Olympus is at first." Rachel said.

"Whatever."

**"Oh, sure." As far as I knew, there were only a hundred and two floors in the Empire State ****Building, but I decided not to point that out.**

"Good idea, Perce." Grover smiled.

**"Right after we visited," Annabeth continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had ****started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is** **that something important was stolen. **

"What was stolen?" Leo whined.

Jason sighed. "Think of the title."

Leo sat there for a bit. "I got nothing."

"You and Percy could be brothers." Thalia laughed.

**And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there's going to** **be trouble. When you came, I was hoping ... I mean— Athena can get along with just about** **anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. **

"Funny how normally that would set the two demigods apart from each other, but with these two it makes hardly a difference." Rachel smiled.

"Well, Percy and Annabeth are…special." Travis decided.

"You got that right." Annabeth said.

**But, I mean, aside** **from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."**

**I shook my head. I wished I could help her, but I felt too hungry and tired and mentally ****overloaded to ask any more questions.**

"I know how you feel, dude." Nico sighed.

"I think we all do," Leo muttered.

"Oh get over it, Valdez." Piper said. "You'll get you info soon."

**"I've got to get a quest," Annabeth muttered to herself. "I'm **_**not **_**too young. If they would just** **tell me the problem ..."**

**I could smell barbecue smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Annabeth must've heard my ****stomach growl. **

"That I did." Annabeth grinned. "It was loud."

"He is a boy." Thalia said.

"Are you implying something?" Travis asked.

"Why yes, yes I am."

**She told me to go on, she'd catch me later. I left her on the pier, tracing her finger** **across the rail as if drawing a battle plan.**

"Daughter of Athena strikes again." Grover laughed.

**Back at cabin eleven, everybody was talking and horsing around, waiting for dinner. For the first** **time, I noticed that a lot of the campers had similar features: sharp noses, upturned eyebrows,** **mischievous smiles. They were the kind of kids that teachers would peg as troublemakers.**

"That's was makes pranking in school a tad bit harder." Travis sighed.

"I got put in detention once because of the way I smiled." Connor frowned. "I mean, I _was_ up to something, but for a smile, really?"

**Thankfully, nobody paid much attention to me as I walked over to my spot on the floor and ****plopped down with my minotaur horn.**

**The counselor, Luke, came over. He had the Hermes family resemblance, too. It was marred ****by that scar on his right cheek, but his smile was intact.**

Annabeth scowled, remembering her previous feelings for him.

**"Found you a sleeping bag," he said. "And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp ****store."**

**I couldn't tell if he was kidding about the stealing part.**

"Probably not." Connor said.

**I said, "Thanks."**

**"No prob." Luke sat next to me, pushed his back against the wall. "Tough first day?"**

**"I don't belong here," I said. "I don't even believe in gods."**

"Neither did I, at first." Piper said.

"I don't think any of us did." Jason shook his head.

"Yeah," Leo smirked. "And now look at us."

**"Yeah," he said. "That's how we all started. Once you start believing in them? It doesn't get ****any easier."**

**The bitterness in his voice surprised me, because Luke seemed like a pretty easygoing guy.**

**He looked like he could handle just about anything.**

A few people gritted their teeth.

**"So your dad is Hermes?" I asked.**

**He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket, and for a second I thought he was going to ****gut me, **

Annabeth grimaced.

**but he just scraped the mud off the sole of his sandal. "Yeah. Hermes."**

**"The wing-footed messenger guy."**

Connor and Travis snorted.

"Love it, Percy." Nico smiled.

**"That's him. Messengers. Medicine. Travelers, merchants, thieves. Anybody who uses the ****roads. That's why you're here, enjoying cabin eleven's hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who** **he sponsors."**

Travis scowled and Connor pretended to punch himself in the face.

Everyone else just sighed.

**I figured Luke didn't mean to call me a nobody. He just had a lot on his mind.**

"Unfortunately not." Thalia said.

**"You ever meet your dad?" I asked.**

**"Once."**

**I waited, thinking that if he wanted to tell me, he'd tell me. Apparently, he didn't. I wondered** **if the story had anything to do with how he got his scar.**

"Nope," Annabeth said sadly.

"And Percy knows that now." Thalia told her.

"How?" Annabeth looked at her.

"Prometheus."

"What?"

"Later."

**Luke looked up and managed a smile. "Don't worry about it, Percy. The campers here, they're** **mostly good people. After all, we're extended family, right? We take care of each other."**

"Sounds so much better when Percy says it." Nico frowned.

**He seemed to understand how lost I felt, and I was grateful for that, because an older guy like** **him—even if he was a counselor—should've steered clear of an uncool middle-schooler like me.**

"If Percy wasn't who he was, he probably would've." Annabeth frowned.

**But Luke had welcomed me into the cabin. He'd even stolen me some toiletries, which was the** **nicest thing anybody had done for me all day.**

"Uh hello!" Annabeth said.

"Well, in his defence, you weren't all that nice to him." Thalia grinned.

Annabeth sighed. "I guess you're right."

**I decided to ask him my last big question, the one that had been bothering me all afternoon.**

**"Clarisse, from Ares, was joking about me being 'Big Three' material. Then Annabeth ... twice,** **she said I might be 'the one.' She said I should talk to the Oracle. What was that all about?"**

**Luke folded his knife. "I hate prophecies."**

"Don't we all." Jason muttered.

"They're too damn confusing." Nico said. "And don't get me started on the double meanings-"

"Then don't start." Travis stopped him.

"It wouldn't be good for our-I mean your health." Connor finished.

**"What do you mean?"**

**His face twitched around the scar. "Let's just say I messed things up for everybody else. The** **last two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour, Chiron hasn't** **allowed any more quests. Annabeth's been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so** **much he finally told her he already knew her fate. **

"That's always great to here," Grover said sarcastically. His voice went higher: "Tell me, please, I need to know. I need a quest." Then his voice went lower. "No child, I know your fate, stay put."

"Oh please Grover. That is not how it went." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"I know, but I sounded pretty good right?"

Everyone ignored him.

**He'd had a prophecy from the Oracle. He** **wouldn't tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth wasn't destined to go on a quest yet. She** **had to wait until... somebody special came to the camp."**

**"Somebody special?"**

"That's you, bucko." Travis laughed. "The most…special person I've ever met."

"The one who changed it all," Connor added.

**"Don't worry about it, kid," Luke said. "Annabeth wants to think every new camper who ****comes through here is the omen she's been waiting for. Now, come on, its dinnertime."**

**The moment he said it, a horn blew in the distance. Somehow, I knew it was a conch shell, ****even though I'd never heard one before. **

"Powers of the son of the sea god at work people." Thalia said.

"Everyone behold, the conch shell." Leo sang and Thalia glared at him.

**Luke yelled, "Eleven, fall in!"**

**The whole cabin, about twenty of us, filed into the commons yard. We lined up in order of ****seniority, so of course I was dead last. Campers came from the other cabins, too, except for the** **three empty cabins at the end, and cabin eight, which had looked normal in the daytime, but was** **now starting to glow silver as the sun went down.**

"It is awesome," Thalia smiled.

**We marched up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. Satyrs joined us from the meadow. Naiads ****emerged from the canoeing lake. A few other girls came out of the woods— and when I say out** **of the woods, I mean **_**straight **_**out of the woods. I saw one girl, about nine or ten years old, melt** **from the side of a maple tree and come skipping up the hill.**

"I wonder how Juniper is." Grover thought randomly.

**In all, there were maybe a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen assorted wood** **nymphs and naiads.**

**At the pavilion, torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze ****brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in** **purple. Four of the tables were empty, but cabin eleven's was way overcrowded. I had to squeeze** **on to the edge of a bench with half my butt hanging off.**

Everyone laughed at the mental picture.

"We were really over crowded at that point," Travis mumbled.

"Stupid, not caring gods." Connor muttered.

"You're lucky we're frozen in time or they would be pissed." Nico grinned.

**I saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few satyrs, and a couple of plump blond ****boys who looked just like Mr. D. Chiron stood to one side, the picnic table being way too small** **for a centaur.**

"No duh, Perce." Grover laughed.

**Annabeth sat at table six with a bunch of serious-looking athletic kids, all with her gray eyes** **and honey-blond hair.**

"Funny isn't it, how all of Athena's kids are blond and there are always dumb blond jokes." Thalia snickered.

"We hate it." Annabeth scowled.

**Clarisse sat behind me at Ares's table. She'd apparently gotten over being hosed down, ****because she was laughing and belching right alongside her friends.**

"I doubt it," Rachel said.

**Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell ****silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"**

**Everybody else raised their glasses. "To the gods!"**

"To the gods!" Travis and Connor shouted and held aloft drinks.

"You guys sound drunk," Piper laughed.

**Wood nymphs came forward with platters of food: grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh** **bread, and yes, barbecue! My glass was empty, but Luke said, "Speak to it. Whatever you want—** **non-alcoholic, of course."**

**I said, "Cherry Coke."**

**The glass filled with sparkling caramel liquid.**

**Then I had an idea. "**_**Blue **_**Cherry Coke."**

"He would." Thalia smiled.

"It's Percy, would you expect anything less?" Annabeth asked.

"I guess not."

**The soda turned a violent shade of cobalt.**

**I took a cautious sip. Perfect.**

**I drank a toast to my mother.**

"That's sweet," Piper said.

**She's not gone, I told myself. Not permanently, anyway. She's in the Underworld. And if ****that's a real place, then someday...**

"Oh boy," Jason said. "I can see where this is going."

**"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing me a platter of smoked brisket.**

**I loaded my plate and was about to take a big bite when I noticed everybody getting up, ****carrying their plates toward the fire in the center of the pavilion. I wondered if they were going** **for dessert or something.**

"So, so, so clueless." Rachel chuckled.

**"Come on," Luke told me.**

**As I got closer, I saw that everyone was taking a portion of their meal and dropping it into the** **fire, the ripest strawberry, the juiciest slice of beef, the warmest, most buttery roll.**

"All that food that could be ours…" Connor sighed.

"Thrown into a fire." Travis added.

"You guys are so lucky-" Nico began.

"We know."

**Luke murmured in my ear, "Burnt offerings for the gods. They like the smell."**

**"You're kidding."**

**His look warned me not to take this lightly, but I couldn't help wondering why an immortal, ****all-powerful being would like the smell of burning food.**

"It doesn't make sense to me either." Rachel said.

"It smells amazing though." Thalia smiled.

"Still, I don't get it."

**Luke approached the fire, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."**

**I was next.**

**I wished I knew what god's name to say.**

**Finally, I made a silent plea. **_**Whoever you are, tell me. Please.**_

"He got his wish, that's for sure." Nico said.

"Even if took almost getting killed," Grover sighed.

**I scraped a big slice of brisket into the flames.**

**When I caught a whiff of the smoke, I didn't gag.**

**It smelled nothing like burning food. It smelled of hot chocolate and fresh-baked brownies, ****hamburgers on the grill and wildflowers, and a hundred other good things that shouldn't have** **gone well together, but did. **

"How-" Rachel wondered. "…I give up."

**I could almost believe the gods could live off that smoke.**

"I think Apollo tried that once." Travis said.

"Yeah, lasted like 3 hours." Connor chuckled.

"Best day ever to be on Olympus." Travis smiled.

**When everybody had returned to their seats and finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded** **his hoof again for our attention.**

**Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, ****hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently** **holds the laurels."**

Most people in the room booed.

**A bunch of ugly cheering rose from the Ares table.**

**"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell ****you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."**

"So that's where that came from," Nico laughed.

"Yup," Annabeth said. "And there have been others."

**Chiron murmured something.**

**"Er, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to ****your silly campfire. Go on."**

"I love campfire!" Rachel said.

"Ya…"

**Everybody cheered. We all headed down toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a** **sing-along. We sang camp songs about the gods and ate s'mores and joked around, and the funny** **thing was, I didn't feel that anyone was staring at me anymore. I felt that I was home.**

Everyone smiled, knowing that they had all felt the same way at one point or another.

**Later in the evening, when the sparks from the campfire were curling into a starry sky, the ****conch horn blew again, and we all filed back to our cabins. I didn't realize how exhausted I was** **until I collapsed on my borrowed sleeping bag.**

**My fingers curled around the Minotaur's horn. I thought about my mom, but I had good ****thoughts: her smile, the bedtime stories she would read me when I was a kid, the way she would** **tell me not to let the bedbugs bite.**

"You must be careful, Percy." Travis said.

"If the bed bugs bite, you're a goner." Connor finished.

**When I closed my eyes, I fell asleep instantly.**

**That was my first day at Camp Half-Blood.**

**I wish I'd known how briefly I would get to enjoy my new home.**

"Dramatic much?" Nico snorted.

"That's the end." Rachel said and put down the book.

"I'm curious," Thalia stood up. "The first letter said there were 5 books. I wonder what the other ones are called."

Another piece of paper appeared on the table.

"Okay, now I'm starting to get creeped out." Travis said.

"Yeah, this 'Sid-Nilos' person is like watching us." Connor looked around.

"Is someone going to read the paper?" Leo asked.

Rachel picked up and read:

"_Hello again demigods! So Thalia wondered about the names of the books…I guess there's no harm in me telling you. As you know this one is called The Lightning Thief and the others are as follows,_

_2: The Sea of Monsters_

_3: The Titans Curse_

_4: The Battle of the Labyrinth_

_5: The Last Olympian_

_Enjoy them!_

_~Sid-Nilos"_

"Well then," Thalia said. She looked at Annabeth. "So the Sea of Monsters if when you and he go-"

"Yup."

"And the Titan's Curse is when you're-"

"Uh huh."

"And the Battle of the Labyrinth is when you four go into the-"

"Yes."

"And the Last Olympian is the w-"

"Yes, yes, and yes."

"Well this will be interesting." Thalia smiled.

"That made absolutely no sense to me." Leo said.

"I know," Thalia laughed.

"Can we take a break?" Travis asked.

"Yeah, I can only read for so long." Connor added.

"Sure, why not," Nico said.

"Let's meet back in here in half an hour." Annabeth told everyone. "We can do whatever we want, as long as it's in the big house."

The demigods all left and Travis and Connor commenced their plan.

**So…what'd ya think? Any good? Any bad? Let me know. And a note to you all, the next chapter won't be a normal one. You might have picked up that from the last sentence, you might have not, but the next chapter will be all about Travis and Connor's "plan". Remember review!**

**~Sid-Nilos**


	9. Chapter 9: Nighty Night Everyone

**I would like to apologize in advance, this chapter sucks. But I randomly thought of it and so here it is…  
><strong>**I forgot that Percy went into the underworld 3 times…I'v never actually read The Demigod Files, so sorry about that.  
><strong>**Thanks for the comments, they're awesome!  
><strong>**Disclaimer: I won nothing…**

**Nighty Night Everyone**

"Okay, what do you have in your stash?" Connor asked his brother as they hid in a closet. Everyone was roaming around the big house reading, watching tv, talking, and doing whatever pleased them as the Stolls put together a last minute prank. They had found their emergency backpacks that they kept stashed in the big house in case of well, emergencies and now they were going through what they had.

Travis rummaged through his bag. "I got paint, Drew's eyeliner," Connor looked at him. "What? It may come in handy. Anyways, also some buckets, blankets, and a whole lot of rope. What about you?"

"Umm, sleeping gas, sleeping pills, 2 masks, coke cans, mentos, lots of rope, and a clown nose." Connor said.

Travis nodded. "Okay, I have a plan. Listen up."

Connor listened as Travis went into detail about the prank and how most of their supplies would be used. "Dude! That's lame…but it's all we have time to set up, so let's go."

Travis took the paint, the eyeliner and the rope from his bag while Connor took the sleeping gas, the masks, the clown nose, and more rope. Checking to see if anyone was around, they dashed to the room where they were reading the book and stashed everything but the sleeping gas and masks behind the logs for the fireplace.

"What about the gas?" Travis asked. "How are we supposed to activate it and not pass out like everyone else?"

Connor thought about it. "Well, we could 'pretend' to lose track of time and when everyone is distracted, throw the bottle into the room. It will open on contact and spray enough gas to fill the room."

"They'll see it though," Travis said.

"This was your idea man, not mine."

"Fine, fine."

"They won't be able to stop it anyways, it only shuts off when enough gas has been released." Connor explained.

"Good enough, I guess." Travis shrugged. He looked at his watch and beckoned to Connor. "Everyone will be back in 5 minutes, let's hide."

The two of them ran and hid in the room that was next to the book reading one, which happened to be where their stash was. "We have to remember to close the door once we throw in the bottle," Connor reminded them. "Or it will go throughout the whole house."

"Right…shhh, I hear footsteps." Travis motioned for them to get down and be quiet. Meanwhile, outside that room, Jason and Leo walked by and went into the reading room and were shortly followed by Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, and Rachel. They were all talking about Rome and Percy and the ship and Percy and Hera and of course Percy. Nico and Grover walked in last, and lucky for the Stolls, forgot to shut the door.

"Where are Connor and Travis?" Grover asked.

"This can't be good," Annabeth groaned. "They're up to something, I can tell."

"Maybe they just lost track of time," Jason said, getting up. "I'll see if there close."

Jason started to walk toward the door just as a normal looking black bottle flew into the room and hit Jason in the side of the head.

"Ow," Jason winced, rubbing his head. "What the pluto was that?"

The door slammed shut and a hiss came from the bottle.

"This has Connor and Travis written all over it." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"What is it?" Leo knelt down next to it. "There's air coming out of it."

Rachel yawned. "I'm feeling really tired all of a sudden."

"Me too," Leo swayed a little. "I think I'll just take a little-zzzz."

Leo fell over and started snoring. The fumes were now reaching everyone else and they all started to yawn too.

"Sleeping gas," Annabeth mumbled.

"That can't be good!" Piper's eyes fluttered.

As one everyone in the one fell asleep. Some, like Nico, Grover, and Piper, fell off of their chairs or couches. Everyone else just sprawled against each other.

The door creaked open and Travis and Connor walked in wearing the masks. Connor grabbed the stuff they had stashed earlier and dumped it on the floor as Connor picked up the bottle of sleeping gas and put it back in the bag. "The gas should dissipate within the next few minutes," he said. "And they should stay asleep for around 45 minutes."

"We better get to work then." Travis picked up all of the rope and handed half to his brother. They then went around the room together and made sure everyone was sitting upright in a chair before tying them tightly to it.

Connor spread out the paint, eyeliner, and clown nose on the floor once everyone was tied up. "Okay, what were our ideas?"

"Uhhh, Harry Potter, a French dude, a superhero, a vampire, a clown, a Cyclops, a devil, and an angel." Travis listed off.

"Let's start with Harry Potter, who should be Harry Potter?" Connor asked.

Travis smirked. "Jason, definitely Jason." He picked up the eyeliner and walked over to where Jason slept. Skillfully he drew a lightning scar on his forehead and big round glasses around his eyes.

Connor laughed. "Nice! And we said that Piper would be the French dude right?"

"Yup," Travis answered. Connor took the liner from his brother and started to draw a mustache and a goatee on Piper. "Wait, she needs like a hat on her forehead or something."

So Connor drew a tiny hat on her forehead. He tossed the eyeliner to Travis who walked over to Annabeth and started to make her a superhero. The mask covered almost half of her face, a pattern of swirls covered her left cheek, and there was, of course, a mustache.

"Here," Travis gave it to Connor. "You do Grover and I'll use the paint for Nico."

"Gotcha." Connor turned Grover into a vampire complete with fangs dripping blood, and, when Grover closed his eyes, a hunter's narrowed and searching gaze was drawn on top of his eyelids and surroundings face.

Meanwhile, Travis was having a lot of fun making Nico into a clown. There was just something about seeing a goth-looking kid with a clown face. Painted on his face was that fake red smile, white skin, raccoon like eyes and random shapes. For a better touch, Travis put the clown nose on Nico's nose.

Connor moved onto Rachel and drew a huge eye in the center of her forehead and what looked like a mouth with crooked teeth that was smiling widely over her lips and the start of her cheeks.

"They're looking good." Connor smiled.

"See my plan wasn't that bad," Travis said smugly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Here, let me do Leo," Travis took the eyeliner and drew devil horns on his forehead, a small mask around his eyes, an evil smile around his mouth, and used the red paint to make swirling red lines on his cheeks.

"And last but not least, Thalia gets turned into an angel," Connor laughed.

"She will not like this," Travis smirked.

"That's what the rope is for." Connor drew a halo as well as he could on her forehead, wings on the sides of her face as a symbol, and a sweet smile on her lips.

"We have approximately 5 minutes before they wake up, let's put this stuff away." Travis picked up the backpack, put everything in it and stashed it with their other stuff in the other room.

"Let's watch the show of a lifetime." The two of them flopped onto a couch just as the demigods started to wake up.

"What happened?" Nico rubbed his head and looked around.

"Why am I tied to a chair?" Jason asked and pulled at the ropes that were wrapped around him.

Piper looked around at everyone's faces. "What on earth happened to your guys faces?"

"What?" Thalia shook her head.

"Look around!"

They glanced at one another and their mouths opened in shock. Half of them yelled "Connor!" while the other half yelled "Travis!"

"What did you do?" Rachel yelled.

They smirked. "What does it look like we did?"

"You knocked us out, tied us up, and drew on our faces?" Annabeth shrieked.

"Pretty much." Connor laughed.

"Why?" Grover complained.

"Because we felt like it." Travis smiled.

"How are we supposed to get this gunk off?" Leo asked.

"Once the ropes fall away, you can do whatever you want with it." They said together.

For a few minutes everyone just sat there grumbling and taking a look at everyone else's faces. They went around and each person found out what was on their face. Let's just say, no one way happy and there was plenty of complaining.

"When we can get up," Thalia growled. "You two are so dead!"

"We know," Travis smiled.

Conner nodded. "But it was so worth it."

Nico was seething. "Well, seeing as how none of us can hold the book, one of you two has to read."

"I will," Travis offered. He picked up the book, cleared his throat, and started reading.

**Lame, I know…but next chapter will be back to reading TLT. Review!**

**~Sid-Nilos**


	10. Chapter 10: We Capture A Flag

**I know I haven't posted the last few days, and I'm sorry, but it's been busy. And it's 1:14 am where I am right now and I should be asleep but instead I was writing this.  
><strong>**I won't be able to post until Sunday night because I'm going to my cottage where there is crappy internet connection, so yeah.  
><strong>**Thanks for reviewing, they're all so nice! Happy Reading!  
><strong>**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HoO, Rick Riordan does.**

_**We Capture A Flag**_

"What kind of flag?" Leo asked.

Nico face-palmed. "Fail."

"What?"

"Fail."

**The next few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal, if you don't count the fact that I** **was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs, and a centaur.**

"Yeah, that would be weird at first." Thalia said.

"It still is," Piper mumbled.

**Each morning I took Ancient Greek from Annabeth, and we talked about the gods and ****goddesses in the present tense, which was kind of weird. **

Travis snorted. "And now he spends his time wondering which ones would like to kill him today."

"I can waver a guess," Connor laughed.

Annabeth smirked. "I bet most of us could.

**I discovered Annabeth was right about** **my dyslexia: **

"Of course I was." Annabeth said smugly.

**Ancient Greek wasn't that hard for me to read. At least, no harder than English.**

**After a couple of mornings, I could stumble through a few lines of Homer without too much ****headache.**

"Really?" Nico asked. "Reading the first sentence gives me a headache."

"Wow, Nic, wow." Thalia shook her head.

Nico frowned. "I doubt you could do any better."

"I'll bet on that." Thalia said.

"What are you going to give me? I mean, what are we betting?" Nico laughed.

"I know something!" Travis jumped up. Everyone glared at him, which looked really weird with the paint and makeup on their faces.

"We don't want to talk to you." Thalia said coldly.

"But-"

"No!" Everyone yelled.

"Just read on Travis," Rachel said.

"We'll finish this later," Nico told Thalia.

"You bet." They shook hands and went back to the book.

**The rest of the day, I'd rotate through outdoor activities, looking for something I was good at.**

**Chiron tried to teach me archery, **

"Not a good idea, Chiron," Grover laughed.

**but we found out pretty quick I wasn't any good with a bow and** **arrow. He didn't complain, even when he had to de-snag a stray arrow out of his tail.**

Everyone laughed and Jason did so while shaking his head. "How did he manage that?"

"Who knows?" Annabeth smiled. "He's just really bad at archery."

**Foot racing? No good either. The wood-nymph instructors left me in the dust. They told me ****not to worry about it. They'd had centuries of practice running away from lovesick gods. But still,** **it was a little humiliating to be slower than a tree.**

"I know what he means," Leo muttered.

Connor opened his mouth to comment but almost everyone glared at him.

**And wrestling? Forget it. Every time I got on the mat, Clarisse would pulverize me.**

**"There's more where that came from, punk," she'd mumble in my ear.**

"Of course," Piper laughed.

"That's just so Clarisse." Rachel said.

**The only thing I really excelled at was canoeing, and that wasn't the kind of heroic skill ****people expected to see from the kid who had beaten the Minotaur.**

"I wouldn't exactly call that a heroic skill, Perce." Connor went for the punch.

Everyone just sighed. They figured there was no shutting up the Stolls, as annoying as they were.

**I knew the senior campers and counselors were watching me, trying to decide who my dad ****was, but they weren't having an easy time of it. I wasn't as strong as the Ares kids, **

"I cannot see Percy has a son of Ares at all." Grover said.

**or as good at** **archery as the Apollo kids. **

"Same as Ares," Grover laughed.

**I didn't have Hephaestus's skill with metalwork **

"I cannot see that and I've never even met the guy!" Leo grinned.

**or—gods forbid—Dionysus's way with vine plants.**

"Omg, lol!" Travis yelled.

"Really, dude?" Connor asked. "No. Just no."

**Luke told me I might be a child of Hermes, a kind of jack-of all-trades, master of none. **

"What's that supposed to mean?" Travis asked, calming down.

Annabeth sighed.

**But I got the feeling he was just trying to make me feel better. He really didn't know what to make of me either.**

**Despite all that, I liked camp. I got used to the morning fog over the beach, the smell of hot ****strawberry fields in the afternoon, **

"I know who likes the strawberry fields," Connor said slyly.

"So do I," Nico laughed.

Jason, Leo, and Piper looked confused as everything laughed.

"Shut up," Travis said, his face turning red.

**even the weird noises of monsters in the woods at night. I** **would eat dinner with cabin eleven, scrape part of my meal into the fire, and try to feel some** **connection to my real dad. Nothing came. Just that warm feeling I'd always had, like the memory** **of his smile. **

Everyone sighed.

**I tried not to think too much about my mom, but I kept wondering: if gods and** **monsters were real, if all this magical stuff was possible, surely there was some way to save her,** **to bring her back...**

"So foolish," Rachel shook her head.

"He has a lot of determination, doesn't he?" Jason noticed.

"To that he does." Annabeth agreed.

**I started to understand Luke's bitterness and how he seemed to resent his father, Hermes. So** **okay, maybe gods had important things to do. But couldn't they call once in a while, or thunder,** **or something? Dionysus could make Diet Coke appear out of thin air. Why couldn't my dad, whoever he was, make a phone appear?**

"Can gods do that?" Piper wondered.

"That's a good question." Thalia said.

"Annabeth?" Nico asked.

She thought about it. "Probably not. Though possibly Hermes."

"Oh yeah!" Connor and Travis high-fived.

**Thursday afternoon, three days after I'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood, I had my first sword fighting** **lesson. Everybody from cabin eleven gathered in the big circular arena, where Luke ****would be our instructor.**

"I remember that," Travis said.

"Same," Connor laughed.

"He was pretty awesome."

"Uh huh."

**We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw-stuffed dummies in Greek ****armor. I guess I did okay. At least, I understood what I was supposed to do and my reflexes were** **good.**

"Tell me about," Nico muttered. "One mistake made, and you try waking him up when he has riptide on him."

"What happened?" Rachel smirked.

"I'm sure you'll find out at some point."

**The problem was, I couldn't find a blade that felt right in my hands. **

"Well that's a problem," Jason said.

"Oh, it's all good." Annabeth smiled.

"Too good." Thalia laughed.

**Either they were too** **heavy, or too light, or too long. Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he agreed that none of the** **practice blades seemed to work for me.**

**We moved on to dueling in pairs. Luke announced he would be my partner, since this was my** **first time.**

Annabeth sighed.

"Good luck, Perce." Thalia frowned.

**"Good luck," one of the campers told me. "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three ****hundred years."**

"I think Percy has that topped," Rachel said.

**"Maybe he'll go easy on me," I said.**

**The camper snorted.**

"Me," Travis laughed.

"Nice," Leo said.

**Luke showed me thrusts and parries and shield blocks the hard way. With every swipe, I got a** **little more battered and bruised. "Keep your guard up, Percy," he'd say, then whap me in the ribs** **with the flat of his blade. **

"Ouch." Nico winced.

"He's had much worse," Annabeth reminded him.

"Touché."

**"No, not that far up!" **_**Whap! **_**"Lunge!" **_**Whap! **_**"Now, back!" **_**Whap!**_

"How fun." Rachel said sarcastically.

Travis nodded enthusiastically. "For sure."

Rachel hit him in the head.

**By the time he called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everybody swarmed the drinks cooler.**

**Luke poured ice water on his head, which looked like such a good idea, I did the same.**

"And there he goes," Thalia announced.

"Goes with what?" Leo asked.

"Water, Poseidon…" Piper said.

Leo sat there for at least a minute while everyone waited for him to get it. "…oh!"

"Took you long enough," Grover muttered.

**Instantly, I felt better. Strength surged back into my arms. The sword didn't feel so awkward.**

**"Okay, everybody circle up!" Luke ordered. "If Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you a little** **demo."**

"Yay, let's watch Percy get pounded!" Connor danced around.

"Ooh, lets." Travis agreed.

**Great, I thought. Let's all watch Percy get pounded.**

Everyone laughed as Connor dived behind a couch.

"Someone save me!" he cried. "I don't wanna go over to that side!"

**The Hermes guys gathered around. They were suppressing smiles. I figured they'd been in my** **shoes before and couldn't wait to see how Luke used me for a punching bag. **

"It was quite amusing to watch at first." Travis smiled, remembering that day.

Connor got up and sat back down. "It sure was."

**He told everybody he was going to demonstrate a disarming technique: how to twist the enemy's blade with the flat of your own sword so that he had no choice but to drop his weapon.**

Jason nodded. "Good technique, I guess."

"Well, it is Greek." Annabeth said. "Different culture, different style."

"True," Jason agreed. "And it is effective."

**"This is difficult," he stressed. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most** **swordsmen have to work years to master this technique."**

Thalia laughed. "And yet it takes Percy like 30 seconds."

"Really?" Piper raised her eyebrows.

"Totally."

**He demonstrated the move on me in slow motion. Sure enough, the sword clattered out of my** **hand.**

"But you said-" Piper started.

"Wait for it." Thalia told her.

**"Now in real time," he said, after I'd retrieved my weapon. "We keep sparring until one of us** **pulls it off. Ready, Percy?"**

**I nodded, and Luke came after me. Somehow, I kept him from getting a shot at the hilt of my** **sword. My senses opened up. I saw his attacks coming. **

"There's the ADHD," Annabeth mumbled. "Told him so."

"I think you've said that to everyone at least 3 times before," Travis said.

Connor nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Annabeth smirked. "Probably."

**I countered. I stepped forward and tried a** **thrust of my own. Luke deflected it easily, but I saw a change in his face. His eyes narrowed, and** **he started to press me with more force.**

**The sword grew heavy in my hand. The balance wasn't right. I knew it was only a matter of ****seconds before Luke took me down, so I figured, What the heck?**

"Best strategy!" Nico said. "I'm going to lose, so what the heck, I'll go for it. Works every time."

"Not every time." Jason disagreed.

"But enough." Nico argued.

"I guess." Jason consented.

**I tried the disarming maneuver.**

**My blade hit the base of Luke's and I twisted, putting my whole weight into a downward ****thrust.**

_**Clang.**_

**Luke's sword rattled against the stones. The tip of my blade was an inch from his undefended** **chest.**

"Way to go, Percy!" Connor yelled.

"Who da man? You da man!" Travis joined in.

"What are you doing?" Piper asked.

"You learn not to ask them that." Annabeth said.

**The other campers were silent.**

**I lowered my sword. "Um, sorry."**

Jason laughed. "He actually said sorry?"

"To that he did," Travis nodded.

"Percy, Percy, Percy." Nico shook his head.

**For a moment, Luke was too stunned to speak.**

**"Sorry?" His scarred face broke into a grin. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show ****me that again!"**

**I didn't want to. The short burst of manic energy had completely abandoned me. But Luke ****insisted.**

**This time, there was no contest. The moment our swords connected, Luke hit my hilt and sent** **my weapon skidding across the floor.**

"The burst of energy from the water doesn't last too long, does it?" Leo asked.

"You just said something intelligent." Thalia gasped.

"Oh hardy har har." Leo said. "I'm not that bad. I have an excuse, I'm new here."

**After a long pause, somebody in the audience said, "Beginner's luck?"**

**Luke wiped the sweat off his brow. He appraised at me with an entirely new interest.**

**"Maybe," he said. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword..."**

"A lot," Annabeth grinned.

"Definitely!" Rachel agreed.

**Friday afternoon, I was sitting with Grover at the lake, resting from a near-death experience on** **the climbing wall. **

"I have those all the time." Jason frowned. "Stupid lava."

"It's so easy!" Grover protested.

"For a goat maybe," Nico muttered. "For the rest of us, not so much."

**Grover had scampered to the top like a mountain goat, but the lava had almost** **gotten me. My shirt had smoking holes in it. The hairs had been singed off my forearms.**

"Exactly what happens to me," Jason exclaimed, which made Annabeth smile.

"And Percy agrees with me," Nico told Grover. "So ha."

**We sat on the pier, watching the naiads do underwater basket-weaving, until I got up the ****nerve to ask Grover how his conversation had gone with Mr. D.**

**His face turned a sickly shade of yellow.**

**"Fine," he said. "Just great."**

**"So your career's still on track?"**

"Career?" Leo asked and everyone sighed.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll find out later."

**He glanced at me nervously. "Chiron t-told you I want a searcher's license?"**

**"Well... no." I had no idea what a searcher's license was, but it didn't seem like the right time** **to ask. "He just said you had big plans, you know ... and that you needed credit for completing a** **keeper's assignment. So did you get it?"**

"I say that he really should of," Rachel said.

"He is sitting in the room." Grover pointed to himself.

"Right, sorry." Rachel apologized.

**Grover looked down at the naiads. "Mr. D suspended judgment. He said I hadn't failed or ****succeeded with you yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to** **protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he'd consider the job complete."**

"Well, obviously he gets a quest soon." Piper noted.

"Very soon," Annabeth nodded.

"Oh," Jason realized. "So you guys go on a guest to find the li-"

"Yup," she answered.

"I see."

**My spirits lifted. "Well, that's not so bad, right?"**

_**"Blaa-ha-ha! **_**He might as well have transferred me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of ****you getting a quest... and even if you did, why would you want **_**me **_**along?"**

"You're not very sure of yourself are you?" Leo asked Grover.

"I'm better now, I guess." Grover shrugged.

"…Okay."

**"Of course I'd want you along!"**

**Grover stared glumly into the water. "Basket-weaving ... Must be nice to have a useful skill."**

**I tried to reassure him that he had lots of talents, but that just made him look more miserable.**

Grover sighed.

"Percy seems like a really nice guy so far." Piper smiled.

Annabeth smiled sadly. "He is. Almost too nice."

**We talked about canoeing and swordplay for a while, then debated the pros and cons of the ****different gods.**

**Finally, I asked him about the four empty cabins.**

**"Number eight, the silver one, belongs to Artemis," he said. "She vowed to be a maiden ****forever. So of course, no kids. The cabin is, you know, honorary. If she didn't have one, she'd be** **mad."**

"Well," Thalia said. "She wouldn't be _that_ mad. Still mad, but not that bad. Plus, where would the hunters stay whenever they visited?"

"Makes sense," Rachel nodded.

**"Yeah, okay. But the other three, the ones at the end. Are those the Big Three?"**

**Grover tensed. We were getting close to a touchy subject. **

"You think?" Nico rolled his eyes. "At that point there weren't supposed to be any big three kids alive. Other than Thalia the tree, but that's different."

"You had to go there didn't you?" Thalia asked.

"I'm not going anywhere." Nico stared her down.

"Good."

**"No. One of them, number two, is** **Hera's," he said. "That's another honorary thing. She's the goddess of marriage, so of course she** **wouldn't go around having affairs with mortals. That's her husband's job. **

"Too true." Jason muttered.

A few people wondered if there were any other sons of Jupiter at Camp Jupiter…but they doubted it.

**When we say the Big** **Three, we mean the three powerful brothers, the sons of Kronos."**

**"Zeus, Poseidon, Hades."**

**"Right. You know. After the great battle with the Titans, they took over the world from their ****dad and drew lots to decide who got what."**

**"Zeus got the sky," I remembered. "Poseidon the sea, Hades the Underworld."**

"Something tells me that the picking wasn't exactly fair," Annabeth said.

"Probably," Piper agreed.

"I can't imagine Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades as god of something else besides what they are though." Nico nodded.

"Me neither." Rachel added. "I mean, imagine Hades being God of the Sea."

Everyone laughed at the mental picture.

**"Uh-huh."**

**"But Hades doesn't have a cabin here."**

**"No. He doesn't have a throne on Olympus, either. He sort of does his own thing down in the** **Underworld. If he did have a cabin here ..." Grover shuddered. "Well, it wouldn't be pleasant.** **Let's leave it at that."**

"Hey!" Nico fumed.

Grover smiled sheepishly. "Sorry?"

"It's not that bad." Nico said.

"I know that now." Grover shrugged.

**"But Zeus and Poseidon—they both had, like, a bazillion kids in the myths. Why are their ****cabins empty?"**

"Because they sent all of their kids to a space station," Connor said.

Travis nodded. "To keep them away from the monsters and the monsters away from them."

"The whereabouts of the space station are currently unknown." Connor continued.

"But we are desperately searching and on the verge of discovery." Travis finished.

Rachel just shook her head and motioned for Travis to continue reading.

**Grover shifted his hooves uncomfortably. "About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big** **Three agreed they wouldn't sire any more heroes. Their children were just too powerful. They** **were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. **

"Got that right." Annabeth said.

**World War II,** **you know, that was basically a fight between the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, and the** **sons of Hades on the other. The winning side, Zeus and Poseidon, made Hades swear an oath** **with them: no more affairs with mortal women. They all swore on the River Styx."**

"And yet that seemed to mean nothing." Nico waved his hands. "My dad, is awesome and the only rule-follower."

"I still find that ironic," Thalia snorted.

"Don't we all?" Annabeth laughed.

Nico glared at them. Seeing as he had a clown face, it was a hilarious sight and everyone burst out laughing. It took a bit before the room was calm enough to start reading again.

**Thunder boomed.**

**I said, "That's the most serious oath you can make."**

**Grover nodded.**

**"And the brothers kept their word—no kids?"**

**Grover's face darkened. "Seventeen years ago, Zeus fell off the wagon. **

"Hence the occupation of this chair." Thalia waved at herself.

"And later on, this one." Jason did the same.

**There was this TV** **starlet with a big fluffy eighties hairdo—he just couldn't help himself. When their child was born,** **a little girl named Thalia .. . well, the River Styx is serious about promises. Zeus himself got off** **easy because he's immortal, but he brought a terrible fate on his daughter."**

Thalia grimaced and Annabeth put an arm around her.

Leo managed to restrain from asking what happened because he figure he would soon find out.

**"But that isn't fair. It wasn't the little girl's fault."**

"Thanks Perce." Thalia smiled.

**Grover hesitated. "Percy, children of the Big Three have powers greater than other halfbloods.**

"Hey, I think that I have some pretty cool powers." Leo said proudly.

"Yeah, but children of the big three have more than one." Annabeth shrugged.

"Oh yeah," Leo asked. "Like what?"

"I'm not going to spoil it." She said slyly.

**They have a strong aura, a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the ****girl, he wasn't too happy about Zeus breaking his oath. Hades let the worst monsters out of ****Tartarus to torment Thalia. **

Jason, Leo , and, Piper leaned forward, glad to finally know what had happened to Thalia.

**A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there** **was nothing he could do. He tried to escort her here with a couple of other half-bloods she'd** **befriended. They almost made it. They got all the way to the top of that hill."**

"I'm guessing you mean Half-Blood hill?" Jason asked Grover.

"Yup."

**He pointed across the valley, to the pine tree where I'd fought the minotaur. "All three Kindly** **Ones were after them, along with a horde of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when** **Thalia told her satyr to take the other two half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters.**

"You did that?" Piper looked shocked.

"Yeah…" Thalia answered.

"Best friend ever." Annabeth gave her a squeeze.

**She was wounded and tired, and she didn't want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr didn't** **want to leave her, but he couldn't change her mind, and he had to protect the others. So Thalia** **made her final stand alone, at the top of that hill. As she died, Zeus took pity on her. He turned** **her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps protect the borders of the valley. That's why the hill is** **called Half-Blood Hill."**

"I'm so confused." Leo said.

"Shocker," Rachel muttered.

Leo ignored her. "How are you not a tree? How are you this age? How, how…"

"You will find out eventually," Thalia said, annoyed.

**I stared at the pine in the distance.**

**The story made me feel hollow, and guilty too. A girl my age had sacrificed herself to save ****her friends. She had faced a whole army of monsters. Next to that, my victory over the Minotaur** **didn't seem like much. I wondered, if I'd acted differently, could I have saved my mother?**

"Great," Thalia mumbled. "Now I've made him feel bad and get dangerous ideas."

"Trust me, Thals," Annabeth smiled. "He needs no help with that."

"True."

**"Grover," I said, "have heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?"**

**"Sometimes," he said. "Orpheus. Hercules. Houdini."**

**"And have they ever returned somebody from the dead?"**

**"No. Never. Orpheus came close... Percy, you're not seriously thinking—"**

"He isn't seriously thinking that?" Piper interrupted.

"It's Percy," Nico said. "He's always thinking of the impossible."

**"No," I lied. "I was just wondering. So ... a satyr is always assigned to guard a demigod?"**

**Grover studied me warily. I hadn't persuaded him that I'd really dropped the Underworld idea.**

"No he did not." Grover shook his head. "Not at all."

"But let me guess," Rachel said. "You didn't try to dissuade him?"

"I don't think that's possible," Nico laughed.

**"Not always. We go undercover to a lot of schools. We try to sniff out the half-bloods who have** **the makings of great heroes. If we find one with a very strong aura, like a child of the Big Three,** **we alert Chiron. He tries to keep an eye on them, since they could cause really huge problems."**

"That's what Percy is," Connor nodded. "A huge problem, with a Nico on top."

"Excuse me?" Nico raise an eyebrow.

"You know," Travis told him. "Instead of pretty please with a cherry on top, it's a huge problem with a Nico on top."

Nico just shook his head.

**"And you found me. Chiron said you thought I might be something special."**

**Grover looked as if I'd just led him into a trap. **

"Smart move, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth smiled.

"Yeah," Grover frowned. "Couldn't get myself out of that one."

**"I didn't... Oh, listen, don't think like that. If** **you **_**were**_**—you know—you'd never **_**ever **_**be allowed a quest, and I'd never get my license. You're** **probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of** **revenge. Don't worry, okay?"**

"Grover," Thalia laughed. "You do know that Nemesis is a goddess, right?"

Grover blushed. "Ummm, yeah."

"She wouldn't like that," Travis slyly.

"Not at all." Connor added.

Grover shot them annoyed glances.

**I got the idea he was reassuring himself more than me.**

**That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual.**

**At last, it was time for capture the flag.**

Everyone cheered.

"You guys will like this." Annabeth told Jason, Leo, and Piper. "Actually, you all will."

"Ooh, I know what happens, but I didn't see it." Grover said.

"Exactly."

**When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables.**

**Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion ****carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl** **above an olive tree. **

"Go us!" Travis cheered.

"You're not the Athena's cabin." Leo said, stating the obvious.

"No duh," Connor rolled his eyes. "But we were allied with them."

**From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with** **another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.**

Everyone booed.

"Maybe it's a good thing that Clarisse isn't here for this part." Annabeth said thoughtfully.

**I turned to Luke and yelled over the noise, "Those are the flags?"**

**"Yeah."**

**"Ares and Athena always lead the teams?"**

"Not always, but often." Travis nodded.

**"Not always," he said. "But often."**

This made Travis frown. He wasn't over Luke's betrayal.

**"So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do—repaint the flag?"**

"Good question." Leo said.

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "What do you do?"

Travis kept reading in a way on answering.

**He grinned. "You'll see. First we have to get one."**

**"Whose side are we on?"**

**He gave me a sly look, as if he knew something I didn't. The scar on his face made him look ****almost evil in the torchlight. "We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the** **flag from Ares. And **_**you **_**are going to help."**

"It's probably only because of Percy that we won," Connor laughed.

"Did he get the flag and be the hero?" Piper asked.

"Not exactly…" Travis said.

"Remember. Athena always has a plan." Annabeth told everyone.

**The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two ****biggest cabins. Apparently, privileges had been traded—shower times, chore schedules, the best** **slots for activities—in order to win support.**

"Smart," Nico nodded.

"You know," Thalia thought. "I think I've only ever played one game of capture the flag here."

"Really?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, and it was against the hunters…weird."

"But-"

"You'll see," Thalia sighed.

**Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and ****Hephaestus. **

"Not the best team," Rachel acknowledged.

"Hey!" Piper and Leo sniffed.

She raised her hands in surrender. "Just listen."

**From what I'd seen, Dionysus's kids were actually good athletes, but there were only** **two of them. **

Almost everyone's smiles disappeared.

**Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff but they weren't** **very aggressive. **

"Lucky for us," Connor said.

Travis glared at him, thinking of Katie.

**Aphrodite's sons and daughters I wasn't too worried about. They mostly sat out** **every activity and checked their reflections in the lake and did their hair and gossiped.**

"Unfortunately, I have to admit that it's true." Piper sighed.

"You should see them when we play the hunters," Grover laughed.

"Yeah, their whole perspectives change." Thalia said.

**Hephaestus's kids weren't pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly** **from working in the metal shop all day. **

"Only four?" Leo asked. "Wow."

"Yeah, the numbers are a lot higher now." Annabeth said.

**They might be a problem. That, of course, left Ares's** **cabin: a dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island, or anywhere else on the** **planet.**

"Good description." Rachel muttered.

"And they're proud of it." Nico said.

**Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble.**

**"Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire ****forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and** **have no more than two guards. **

"Funny, how most people don't seem to follow that rule." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Monkey guarding!" Travis shouted. Everyone just stared at him. "What?"

**Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. **

Piper laughed. "I'd like to see that."

**No** **killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"**

**He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze** **swords, spears, oxhide shields coated in metal.**

**"Whoa," I said. "We're really supposed to use these?"**

"Someone's slow." Nico ginned.

"No duh." Thalia said.

**Luke looked at me as if I were crazy. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in ****cabin five. Here—Chiron thought these would fit. You'll be on border patrol."**

**My shield was the size of an NBA backboard, with a big caduceus in the middle. **

"I don't see, how we're supposed to fight with those." Travis muttered.

"We need more light-weight ones." Connor agreed.

Thalia smiled. "That's why mine is so awesome."

**It weighed** **about a million pounds. I could have snowboarded on it fine, but I hoped nobody seriously** **expected me to run fast. My helmet, like all the helmets on Athena's side, had a blue horsehair** **plume on top. Ares and their allies had red plumes.**

**Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!"**

"Go Annabeth!" Piper cheered, which made Annabeth smile.

**We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The ****red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off toward the north.**

"Wouldn't be a normal game without it." Annabeth laughed.

"It would be the end of the world without it," Nico corrected her.

"I see where you're coming from." She agreed.

**I managed to catch up with Annabeth without tripping over my equipment. "Hey."**

**She kept marching.**

"Ooh, rejection!" Connor gasped.

Annabeth glared at him and he stopped.

**"So what's the plan?" I asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me?"**

**Her hand drifted toward her pocket, as if she were afraid I'd stolen something.**

Everyone looked at her.

"What?" She asked. "I thought he may just be a child of Hermes at that point. So logically, it would make sense."

"Still, what'd think he would take?" Leo wondered.

"A magic item, duh."

**"Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, ****don't worry. **

"Why don't you want it to touch you?" Piper asked.

"For no reason that's good." Nico winced.

**We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"**

**"Border patrol, whatever that means."**

**"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a** **plan."**

"An awesome plan indeed." Connor said.

Annabeth looked surprised at the somewhat compliment.

**She pushed ahead, leaving me in the dust.**

"Rejection again!" Travis yelled this time.

Now, Piper hit him in the head.

**"Okay," I mumbled. "Glad you wanted me on your team."**

**It was a warm, sticky night. The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view**_**.**_

**Annabeth stationed me next to a little creek that gurgled over some rocks, then she and the rest of the team scattered into the trees.**

**Standing there alone, with my big blue-feathered helmet and my huge shield, I felt like an ****idiot. **

"Probably looked like one." Thalia laughed.

"Very," Nico agreed.

"You guys aren't very nice to him, are you?" Piper asked.

"We like to tease and make fun of each other." Thalia said. "Nothing big."

**The bronze sword, like all the swords I'd tried so far, seemed balanced wrong. The leather** **grip pulled on my hand like a bowling ball.**

**There was no way anybody would actually attack me, would they? I mean, Olympus had to ****have liability issues, right?**

Everyone snorted.

"You wish." Rachel smirked.

**Far away, the conch horn blew. I heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal,** **kids fighting. A blue-plumed ally from Apollo raced past me like a deer, leaped through the** **creek, and disappeared into enemy territory.**

"Leaped like a deer, oh so very gracefully." Travis said dramatically.

"What are you talking about?" Piper shook her head.

"I'm not quite sure."

**Great, I thought. I'll miss all the fun, as usual.**

**Then I heard a sound that sent a chill up my spine, a low canine growl, somewhere close by.**

**I raised my shield instinctively; I had the feeling something was stalking me.**

"Well that can't be good." Jason said.

Annabeth looked thoughtful. "So it was there some time before the game started…"

A few people went "What?"

"Nothing…"

**Then the growling stopped. I felt the presence retreating.**

**On the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and** **screaming out of the dark.**

"Oh, I see the plan now," Jason laughed. "Nice one."

"Why thank you," Annabeth smiled.

"I don't see it." Leo said.

No one bothered to answer him.

**"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed.**

**Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. She brandished a five-foot-long ****spear, its barbed metal tip flickering with red light. Her siblings had only the standard-issue ****bronze swords—not that that made me feel any better.**

"So it's electric?" Piper asked.

"Yup," Nico shuddered.

Piper nodded. "Makes sense."

**They charged across the stream. There was no help in sight. I could run. Or I could defend ****myself against half the Ares cabin.**

**I managed to sidestep the first kid's swing, but these guys were not as stupid the Minotaur.**

**They surrounded me, and Clarisse thrust at me with her spear. My shield deflected the point, but I** **felt a painful tingling all over my body. My hair stood on end. My shield arm went numb, and the** **air burned.**

"Ouch," Grover said.

"More like a pain the ass." Nico grumbled. "It's kinda hard to fight like that."

"No duh!" Thalia smirked.

**Electricity. Her stupid spear was electric. I fell back.**

**Another Ares guy slammed me in the chest with the butt of his sword and I hit the dirt.**

**They could've kicked me into jelly, but they were too busy laughing.**

"So much for wanting their revenge," Jason snorted.

"The humiliation was part of it too," Annabeth said.

"Oh! I get it now." Leo announced.

**"Give him a haircut," Clarisse said. "Grab his hair."**

**I managed to get to my feet. I raised my sword, but Clarisse slammed it aside with her spear** **as sparks flew. Now both my arms felt numb.**

"How does he get out of this, ummm, without help?" Piper wondered.

"Skillfully," Travis laughed.

"And awesomely." Connor added.

**"Oh, wow," Clarisse said. "I'm scared of this guy. Really scared."**

**"The flag is that way," I told her. I wanted to sound angry, but I was afraid it didn't come out** **that way.**

"I doubt it." Nico laughed.

"It didn't," Annabeth said.

**"Yeah," one of her siblings said. "But see, we don't care about the flag. We care about a guy ****who made our cabin look stupid."**

**"You do that without my help," I told them. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say.**

"You think?" Thalia said sarcastically.

**Two of them came at me. I backed up toward the creek, tried to raise my shield, but Clarisse** **was too fast. Her spear stuck me straight in the ribs. If I hadn't been wearing an armored** **breastplate, I would've been shish-ke-babbed. **

"Good job, armor." Travis said.

"You saved our savior." Connor nodded.

"But too bad you didn't stop the shock," Travis continued.

"It would've been nice." Connor finished.

**As it was, the electric point just about shocked my** **teeth out of my mouth. One of her cabinmates slashed his sword across my arm, leaving a good size cut. Seeing my own blood made me dizzy—warm and cold at the same time.**

"It really is the weirdest sensation," Jason agreed.

"That's too true," Annabeth muttered.

**"No maiming," I managed to say.**

**"Oops," the guy said. "Guess I lost my dessert privilege."**

"Really?" Rachel asked. "That's the punishment?"

"Apparently," Grover rolled his eyes. "And yes, it's stupid."

**He pushed me into the creek and I landed with a splash. **

"Bad decision," Jason smirked.

"This should be good." Nico grinned.

**They all laughed. I figured as soon as** **they were through being amused, I would die. **

"Oh please, Perce." Annabeth frowned. "I wouldn't have let you die. And they wouldn't have killed you."

"You were there?" Piper asked.

"…maybe…"

**But then something happened. The water seemed** **to wake up my senses, as if I'd just had a bag of my mom's double-espresso jelly beans.**

"Ooh, great sugar rush!" Travis exclaimed.

"Very!" Connor laughed maniacally.

**Clarisse and her cabinmates came into the creek to get me, but I stood to meet them. I knew** **what to do. I swung the flat of my sword against the first guy's head and knocked his helmet clean** **off. I hit him so hard I could see his eyes vibrating as he crumpled into the water.**

"Whoa," Leo raised his eyebrows. "Major recharge!"

"You think?" Piper shook her head.

**Ugly Number Two and Ugly Number Three came at me. I slammed one in the face with my ****shield and used my sword to shear off the other guy's horsehair plume. Both of them backed up** **quick. **

"I thought the kids in the Ares cabin are supposed to be all brave and strong…" Travis said.

"And they actually backed down from a fight…wow." Connor was surprised.

**Ugly Number Four didn't look really anxious to attack, but Clarisse kept coming, the point** **of her spear crackling with energy. As soon as she thrust, I caught the shaft between the edge of** **my shield and my sword, and I snapped it like a twig.**

Everyone laughed and Jason added "I bet she did not appreciate that."

"Not at all," Annabeth smirked.

**"Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!"**

**She probably would've said worse, but I smacked her between the eyes with my sword-butt ****and sent her stumbling backward out of the creek.**

"Go Percy, go Percy, oh oh!" Travis sang.

"He will, he will, rock you!" Connor joined in.

"Gooooooo Percy!" Leo finished it off.

Everyone laughed at their maniacness.**(A/N: Yes, I know, that's not a word, but I made it up, hehehehe!)**

**Then I heard yelling, elated screams, and I saw Luke racing toward the boundary line with ****the red team's banner lifted high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat,** **and a few Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids. **

"We did it!" Connor yelled.

"All thanks to Annabeth," Thalia said.

"It was a team effort." Annabeth smiled. "A pretty good game."

**The Ares folks got up, and** **Clarisse muttered a dazed curse.**

**"A trick!" she shouted. "It was a trick."**

**They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran** **across into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and** **turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin** **eleven. **

"So that's what happens to the banners if another cabin captures it?" Leo wondered.

"Cool!" Piper exclaimed.

"Very," Jason agreed.

**Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their** **shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn.**

**The game was over. We'd won.**

**I was about to join the celebration when Annabeth's voice, right next to me in the creek, said,** **"Not bad, hero."**

**I looked, but she wasn't there.**

"Percy's hallucinating about you, Annabeth," Travis teased her.

"Did you know that your boyfriend is crazy?" Connor asked.

Annabeth threw a pillow at them. "Oh shut up."

"You didn't deny it!" Travis whispered.

**"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" she asked. The air shimmered, and she ****materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she'd just taken it off her head.**

"Awesome!" Piper smiled.

"An invisibility cap?" Jason asked.

"Yup, a gift from my mom." Annabeth answered.

"Nice."

**I felt myself getting angry. I wasn't even fazed by the fact that she'd just been invisible. "You** **set me up," I said. "You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you** **sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out."**

"I'm surprised he figured it out so fast," Thalia laughed.

"Well, by then it was pretty obvious," Nico smirked.

"I guess."

**Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."**

**"A plan to get me pulverized."**

**"I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but ..." She shrugged. "You didn't need ****help."**

"Very good plan." Jason smiled.

"Thanks," Annabeth said. "Took some planning and secrecy, that's for sure."

"I can imagine." Leo nodded.

**Then she noticed my wounded arm. "How did you do that?"**

**"Sword cut," I said. "What do you think?"**

"Sarcastic much?" Rachel laughed.

"Always," Thalia exclaimed.

**"No. It **_**was **_**a sword cut. Look at it."**

**The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even** **that was fading. As I watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared.**

"Wow," Leo said. "That's pretty dang cool."

"And useful," Grover nodded.

"Can he heal other people using water?" Piper asked.

"I think so…" Annabeth thought about it. "Probably."

**"I—I don't get it," I said.**

**Annabeth was thinking hard. I could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at my ****feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."**

"Let me guess, he like faints or something?" Nico guessed.

Annabeth bit her lip. "Not exactly."

**"What—"**

**"Just do it."**

**I came out of the creek and immediately felt bone tired. My arms started to go numb again.**

**My adrenaline rush left me. I almost fell over, but Annabeth steadied me.**

"Percy's fair maiden comes to the rescue," Travis sang.

"As always," Connor added.

"The perfect story!" They said together.

"You two are such a pain," Rachel rolled her eyes.

**"Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is **_**not **_**good. I didn't want ... I assumed it would be Zeus... ."**

**Before I could ask what she meant, I heard that canine growl again, but much closer than ****before. A howl ripped through the forest.**

"Uh oh," Jason muttered.

Nico and Thalia started to worry a bit for their cousin.

**The campers' cheering died instantly. Chiron shouted something in Ancient Greek, which I ****would realize, only later, I had understood perfectly: **_**"Stand ready! My bow!"**_

**Annabeth drew her sword.**

"To his rescue!" Connor whispered dramatically.

**There on the rocks just above us was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and** **fangs like daggers.**

**It was looking straight at me.**

"I would not want to be Percy right now." Leo shuddered.

"You wouldn't want to be Percy ever." Nico told him.

**Nobody moved except Annabeth, who yelled, "Percy, run!"**

"Still saving him," Connor continued with it. A few people glared at him.

**She tried to step in front of me, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over her—an enormous** **shadow with teeth—and just as it hit me, as I stumbled backward and felt its razor-sharp claws** **ripping through my armor, **

"Ow, ow!" Piper exclaimed. "That cannot be good!"

"At least the creek is right there, am I right?" Jason thought.

Annabeth nodded.

**there was a cascade of thwacking sounds, like forty pieces of paper** **being ripped one after the other. From the hounds neck sprouted a cluster of arrows. The monster** **fell dead at my feet.**

"Thank god for Chiron," Thalia murmured, glad Percy wasn't too bad off.

"Tell me about it," Annabeth whispered.

**By some miracle, I was still alive. I didn't want to look underneath the ruins of my shredded ****armor. My chest felt warm and wet, and I knew I was badly cut. Another second, and the monster** **would've turned me into a hundred pounds of delicatessen meat.**

"Ughh," Travis scowled. "Not on my top-ten list of foods I want to be turned into."

"List of foods you want to be turned into?" Leo asked. "What-"

"Don't get him started," Rachel warned.

**Chiron trotted up next to us, a bow in his hand, his face grim.**

_**"Di immortales!" **_**Annabeth said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They ****don't ... they're not supposed to ..."**

**"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."**

**Luke came over, the banner in his hand forgotten, his moment of glory gone.**

"Traitor," Connor mumbled quietly.

"Like we don't know who did it," Travis said under his breath.

Neither heard the other and everyone was muttering something incomprehensible under their breath.

**Clarisse yelled, "It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"**

"Really Clarisse?" Piper shook her head. "Not the time to blame him."

"I know," Jason agreed.

**"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her.**

**We watched the body of the hellhound melt into shadow, soaking into the ground until it ****disappeared.**

**"You're wounded," Annabeth told me. "Quick, Percy, get in the water."**

**"I'm okay."**

"Understatement much?" Nico rolled his eyes.

"Of the century." Thalia added.

"Okay…"

**"No, you're not," she said. "Chiron, watch this."**

**I was too tired to argue. I stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around me.**

**Instantly, I felt better. I could feel the cuts on my chest closing up. **

"That can be so useful," Annabeth said. "He's really lucky."

"Yeah," Grover agreed. "I wish I had healing powers like that."

"I think most people do." Thalia nodded.

**Some of the campers ****gasped.**

**"Look, I—I don't know why," I said, trying to apologize. "I'm sorry..."**

"I can't believe that he's actually apologizing for that," Rachel said, exasperated.

"He says sorry quite a bit, I've noticed." Jason noted.

"Yeah, he does, doesn't he?" Nico shook his head.

**But they weren't watching my wounds heal. They were staring at something above my head.**

**"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um ..."**

**By the time I looked up, the sign was already fading, but I could still make out the hologram** **of green light, spinning and gleaming. A three-tipped spear: a trident.**

"That was pretty neat to see," Travis exclaimed.

"Yeah, first and close to only time." Connor agreed.

"Definitely a big moment in history," Annabeth nodded. "The thing that changed everything."

**"Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is **_**really **_**not good."**

**"It is determined," Chiron announced.**

**All around me, campers started kneeling, **

"They kneeled for him?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Annabeth answered.

"So unfair," Leo mumbled.

"Tell me about it," Thalia agreed.

**even the Ares cabin, though they didn't look happy** **about it.**

"They were not, anyone could see that." Grover said.

**"My father?" I asked, completely bewildered.**

**"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus ****Jackson, Son of the Sea God."**

"Dun Dun Dun!" Connor and Travis said. "A change in the way of the world!"

"That's the end of the chapter." Travis put the book down.

"That was a good chapter." Jason smiled.

"Yeah, can't wait to read more." Thalia said. "But first things first…"

Connor and Travis looked at each other and bolted out of the room. The ropes tying the demigods to their chairs fell away and they leaped up, following Connor and Travis.

"You two are going down!" Nico yelled as they raced out the door.

**That's it, yeah. Now I'm going to go to bed…it's been a long day and it's late. Review if you can and thanks for reading.**

**~Sid-Nilos**


	11. Chapter 11: I Am Offered A Quest

**Sorry that I haven't posted in a while. It's been busy. I'm probably only going to post every few days now that school is really getting into gear, but I'll try my best.  
><strong>**Thanks for reviewing, they're all so nice! And they're reached 51! Yay, that makes me really happy!  
><strong>**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO.**

**I Am Offered a Quest**

"Ooh, yay, quest time!" Rachel said happily.

"Now the book really gets going." Grover grinned.

"About time," Leo mumbled. "What is this, chapter 9?"

**The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three.**

**I didn't have to share with anybody. **

"That must be nice," Travis sighed.

Connor nodded. "The Hermes cabin is so crowded. It'd be nice to have some space."

Annabeth shook her head. "Having a cabin to yourself isn't as good as it seems."

"How would you know?" Leo asked. "You have plenty of siblings."

"Percy," Annabeth rolled her eyes. "He has his cabin to himself. So again, not that fun."

"She's not wrong." Nico, Thalia, and Jason said at the same time and everyone burst out laughing.

**I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur's horn, one set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my own activities, call "lights out" whenever I felt like it, and not listen to anybody else.**

"One for all and all for one!" Travis shouted.

"Dude," Connor looked bewildered. "What in the hades are you going on about?"

"No," Nico laughed. "More importantly, why are you quoting High School Musical?"

"Whoa!" Rachel looked shocked. "You've seen High School Musical?"

Nico turned pink. "…no!"

"Moving on," Grover said.

**And I was absolutely miserable.**

**Just when I'd started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in cabin eleven and I might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood—I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease.**

"That's because you do have a disease." Connor said wisely. "A bad one."

Travis whacked him. "Be more sympathetic."

"You just said something intelligent and nice." Thalia feigned surprise.

Travis glared at her. "I am a nice person."

"You just keep thinking that."

**Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back.**

"Yes," Annabeth nodded. "People were."

Connor grinned evilly. "It was mostly me."

Piper smacked him. "Idiot."

**The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one; that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me. They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.**

"Not really." Thalia said.

"But…how did it get in camp then?" Leo asked.

Most of the group grimaced.

"…Someone summoned it," Nico said quietly.

**The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible. Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I'd done to the Ares folks in the woods,**

"Hey!" Travis sniffed. "Not all of us were scared of him."

"Yeah right." Rachel snorted.

**so my lessons with Luke became one-on-one. He pushed me harder than ever, and wasn't afraid to bruise me up in the process.**

**"You're going to need all the training you can get," he promised, as we were working with swords and flaming torches. "Now let's try that viper-beheading strike again. Fifty more repetitions."**

"Fifty repetitions?" Nico said incredulously.

"Geez, that's a pain." Leo groaned.

"It's not that bad." Jason exclaimed.

"You're a Roman," Travis said. "You're used to it."

"Your point?"

"We're not."

**Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something, she scowled at me, as if I'd just poked her between the eyes.**

"Annabeth!" Connor scolded her. "That's not very nice."

"Yeah," Travis added. "When someone pokes you between the eyes, you're supposed to thank them, not scowl at them."

Annabeth threw a pillow at them, which Connor ducked, managing to hit Travis in the face. "Shut it, Stoll."

**After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest ... Poseidon? ... Dirty rotten ... Got to make a plan …"**

Annabeth frowned. "I admit, I wasn't very nice to him at first."

"I don't think anyone was." Grover said.

**Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me for breaking her magic spear. I wished she would just yell or punch me or something. I'd rather get into fights every day than be ignored.**

"If she had of known that," Rachel laughed. "She would have given him his wish."

"Maybe," Nico said. "Or maybe she would be too scared to face him."

Jason snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Yeah, you're right." Nico shook his head.

**I knew somebody at camp resented me, because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a copy of the **_**New York Daily News, **_**opened to the Metro page. **

"Uh oh." Grover frowned. "I remember that article."

"What was it about?" Piper asked.

"I'm sure you'll find out in one sec."

**The article took me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I got, the more the words floated around on the page.**

"Stupid dyslexia." Leo muttered

_**BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER**_

_**FREAK CAR ACCIDENT**_

_**BY EILEEN SMYTHE**_

"Oh," Piper realized. "I see. That must have been hard."

_**Sally Jackson and son Percy are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken.**_

Thalia snorted. "I'd like to hear the mortal's explanation for that."

"So would I!" Travis laughed.

_**The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding.**_

_**Mother and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident.**_

_**Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past.**_

"Jerk," various members of the group muttered.

_**Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stoppers hotline.**_

**The phone number was circled in black marker.**

"Who did that?" Leo asked.

"Obviously the one who put the paper there in the first place." Piper said.

"No duh, Beauty Queen. I just meant…nevermind." Leo shook his head.

Annabeth grimaced. She had a pretty good idea who did it.

**I wadded up the paper and threw it away, then flopped down in my bunk bed in the middle of my empty cabin.**

**"Lights out," I told myself miserably.**

**That night, I had my worst dream yet.**

"Demigod dreams…such a pain. You'd think that the monsters would be enough, but no." Thalia complained. "We just have to have dreams that tell the past, present, future, or metaphors. Grrr!"

"I think Percy's are pretty bad," Annabeth said. "From what I've heard."

"All demigod dreams are bad." Nico mumbled.

"True."

**I was running along the beach in a storm. This time, there was a city behind me. Not New York. The sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.**

"Sounds like Frisco' a bit." Jason's eyebrows scrunched together.

"Maybe…" Annabeth thought.

**About a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers, muscular, with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green. They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.**

"Dad and Poseidon never give up, do they?" Jason shook his head.

"Hehehehe," Connor giggled. "They're like an old married couple."

"No, just no." Travis said.

"Say it again and you'll be vaporized." Thalia grinned.

"Ooh, say it again!" Nico laughed.

**Wind blew me back, until I was running in place, my heels digging uselessly in the sand.**

**Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, **_**Give it back! Give it back! **_

"He sounds like a kindergartner!" Travis said gleefully. "Who would have known."

"I would," Jason muttered. "And no, I'm not telling why."

**Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.**

**The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.**

**I yelled, **_**Stop it! Stop fighting!**_

"Not gonna work, seaweed brain." Annabeth said.

**The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood to ice**_**.**_

Everyone shuddered.

"Who's that?" Piper asked quietly.

Nico grimaced. "The cause of everything."

"Well…That's not good."

"Not at all."

_**Come down, little hero, **_**the voice crooned. **_**Come down!**_

**The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.**

"So dramatic." Connor grinned.

"Hey, that gives me a good idea…" Travis told everyone.

"Just shut up you two." Rachel rolled her eyes.

**I woke up, sure I was falling.**

**I was still in bed in cabin three. My body told me it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. I hadn't dreamed that.**

"A storm? But-" Thalia started.

Annabeth cut her off. "It'll all make sense soon."

**I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold.**

**"Come in?"**

**Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you."**

"More like he wants to kill him," Connor said.

Travis shook his head. "No, he obviously wants to give him a hug!"

"What is wrong with you two?" Piper laughed.

They high-fived each other. "Nothing what-so-ever."

**"Why?"**

**"He wants to kill... I mean, I'd better let him tell you."**

**Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.**

"When is Percy not in trouble?" Nico rolled his eyes.

"I can think of a time or two." Rachel thought.

Annabeth smirked. "I doubt it."

**For days, I'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that I was declared a son of Poseidon, one of the Big Three gods who weren't supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.**

"Join the club," Jason muttered.

"Ooh, I want to join." Travis jumped up.

Connor pushed him back down. "No you don't, idiot."

"I'm not the idiot, you are."

"No, you are."

"You are!"

"You are!"

"You are!"

"Shut the hades up!" Leo yelled. "You're giving me a headache."

"Join the club." Piper smirked.

"Ooh, I want-" Travis started.

"Grover," Thalia pleaded. "Keep reading."

**The other gods had probably been debating the best way to punish me for existing, and now Mr. D was ready to deliver their verdict.**

"That's not exactly how it works." Nico laughed.

"But close enough." Annabeth chuckled.

**Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I asked Grover if we needed an umbrella.**

**"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."**

"Then what is that giant cloud about?" Rachel asked.

"That is the creation of a pissed off god." Jason said matter-of-factly.

**I pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?"**

"Exactly my question." Piper smiled.

"Percy is just unlucky." Grover replied.

**He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."**

**I realized he was right. In the week I'd been here, it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds I'd seen had skirted right around the edges of the valley.**

**But this storm ... this one was huge.**

"Zeus, Zeus, Zeus, Zeus…Zeus, Zeus, Zeus, Zeus…dadadadaaaaa!" Connor sang.

Travis joined in. "Someone, doesn't, like, that, Percy, is, alive, and thinks he stole his-"

"Shut up!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Not everyone knows yet."

"Oh…sorry, I guess."

**At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs. Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.**

"And why wouldn't they?" Thalia laughed. "It's not like it's normal."

**Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my first day. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheel chair. They were playing against invisible opponents-two sets of cards hovering in the air.**

"Ummmm, what?" Rachel asked, confused.

"Hmmm." Annabeth thought. "Not quite sure."

"That's a little creepy honestly." Grover said.

**"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."**

"Our new celebrity!" Connor said coldly.

"Yes dude!" Travis high-fived his brother.

"Okay, what's so great about that?" Nico asked.

"Harry Potter, Snape, first day, potions…No!" Connor exclaimed.

"What's Harry Potter?" Nico wondered.

"Oh my gods!" Travis yelled. "You don't know what Harry Potter is?"

"We are so having a marathon after these books are done." Connor nodded.

"I'll say." Travis agreed.

**I waited.**

**"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."**

"Barnacle-Beard?" Jason laughed. "Nice."

"Agreed." Leo smiled.

**A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.**

**"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.**

"Blah, blah, blah." Travis babbled.

"Blah, blah, blah, blah." Connor said.

"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." Travis fought back.

"Oh just shut up." Grover muttered.

**Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.**

**"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."**

"Uhhh, spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, if I do say so myself." Thalia laughed.

"You wouldn't feel a thing," Jason waved a hand.

"Still, you'd be dead."

**"Spontaneous combustion **_**is **_**a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.**

**"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. **

"Hahaha!" Nico chuckled.

"Awkward." Annabeth smiled.

**Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."**

"Not a bad idea," Nico mused.

"Nico!" Thalia exclaimed.

"I'm kidding." He raised his hands. "Geez,"

**"Mr. D—" Chiron warned.**

**"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. **

"What does an Atlantic Bottlenose look like?" Leo wondered.

"I don't see how that's important." Piper shook her head.

Leo shrugged. "I'm just curious."

**Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."**

"Oh yeah," Annabeth said sarcastically. "Get turned into a dolphin while the world is ripped apart around you. Great choice."

"It would make his life much more simple." Grover shrugged.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows and Grover smiled sheepishly. "Doesn't mean that's what he should have done anything."

**Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.**

**He snapped his fingers.**

**The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.**

"I think Mr. D killed my love of grapes years ago," Connor shook his head.

"Yeah," Travis agreed. "I can't look at a grape without wanting to chuck it somewhere."

Rachel rolled her eyes.

**Chiron smiled at me, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, please. And Grover."**

**We did.**

**Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use.**

"I imagine that he gets lots of those." Nico laughed.

Thalia nodded. "He almost always wins anyways."

"Mr. D is just scared to lose." Connor reasoned.

"So scared!" Travis added. Everyone just shook their heads.

**"Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"**

**Just hearing the name made me shudder.**

**Chiron probably wanted me to say, **_**Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast.**_

"Ha, he could probably say that now." Grover laughed.

"What about Mrs. O'Leary?" Rachel asked.

"Okay," Grover consented. "Most hellhounds."

"Wait, are you telling me he has a hellhound for a pet?" Jason looked shocked.

"Pretty much." Thalia smiled.

Jason shook his head. "I don't even want to know."

**But I didn't feel like lying.**

**"It scared me," I said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."**

**"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."**

**"Done ... with what?"**

"Your quest, duh!" Nico said.

**"Your quest, of course. **

"Nico, you think like Chiron." Leo announced.

Nico hid behind a chair. "Save me!"

**Will you accept it?"**

**I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.**

"Oh you so wanted him to say yes." Piper chuckled.

"So…" Grover shrugged. "Maybe I did."

**"Um, sir," I said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."**

**Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."**

"Please, that's always the hard part." Jason said.

"No," Travis reasoned. "Is when you try to trick the monster with a chew toy, and then you lose the chew toy and have to get another one."

"Why on earth would you carry around a chew toy?" Rachel exclaimed.

Travis shrugged. "You'd be surprised at how many situations it comes in handy in."

**Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.**

**"Poseidon and Zeus," I said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"**

"Can someone please tell me what was stolen?" Leo whined.

"You'll find out in like a page, Valdez." Grover told him. "Hold it together.

**Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"**

**My face felt hot. I wished I hadn't opened my big mouth. "The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft.** **And ... I've also been having these dreams."**

"Wow, he put it all together himself." Nico laughed.

"Nice job, seaweed brain." Annabeth grinned.

"I'm actually surprised." Thalia told them. "Okay, not that surprised. Percy can be clever when he wants to."

"True that." The group said.

**"I knew it," Grover said.**

**"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.**

"Yes," Connor said, turning to Grover. "Hush, satyr."

"It is of the utmost importance that you hush." Travis put a finger to his lips.

"Oh shut up." Grover rolled his eyes.

**"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"**

**"Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."**

Leo laughed nervously. "A what?"

Grover chuckled, reading the next line.

**I laughed nervously. "A **_**what**_**?"**

"Leo thinks like Perce." Nico exclaimed.

"I think we probably all do at one point or another." Annabeth admitted.

"I guess." Nico consented.

**"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."**

"Whoa! That's some serious power!" Piper's eyes widened.

"I've seen it in action." Annabeth said. "It's the real thing."

"You've seen him fire it?" Nico asked.

"Only in an iris message, but still, wow." Annabeth nodded.

**"Oh."**

**"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."**

"That is totally awesome!" Leo shouted. "The work that must have gone into that…" His expression turned dreamy.

Piper waved a hand in front of his face but Leo didn't respond. "I think he's gone into the land of mechanics."

"Someone hit him." Thalia advised.

Jason poked his forehead and Leo came to.

"Moving on," Grover said.

**"And it's missing?"**

**"Stolen," Chiron said.**

**"By who?"**

**"By **_**whom**_**," Chiron corrected.**

"Once a teacher, always a teacher." Annabeth laughed.

**Once a teacher, always a teacher.**

"Annabeth was right." Travis said.

"Of course I was." She smirked.

**"By you."**

**My mouth fell open.**

As did a few people's in the room.

"What?" Piper asked incredulously.

**"At least"—Chiron held up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks. **

"Oh," Leo nodded. "Makes more sense."

"For sure." Piper agreed.

Jason was deep in thought but couldn't seem to come to a conclusion.

**During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' etcetera. **

"I'd like to see that," Rachel smiled.

Annabeth shrugged. "Not all that exciting."

**Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."**

"Of course he did." Jason shook his head. "That's dad for you."

"Tell me about it." Thalia mumbled.

**"But I didn't—"**

**"Patience and listen, child," Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne.**

"Like Poseidon would ever actually do that." Nico snorted.

"Yeah, not his style." Annabeth agreed.

"Hades maybe…" Rachel thought.

"Watch it!" Nico growled.

**The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."**

**"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"**

"Not a good idea." Thalia grinned.

"I have some other adjectives though." Travis smiled slyly. "Barmy, bonkers, berserk, mental insane."

"Demented, deranged, delirious." Connor added.

"Those are all synonyms for crazy, idiots." Thalia shook her head.

**Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid.**

"So cryptic, Percy." Connor said.

"Yeah, don't be such a pessimist." Travis agreed.

**"Er, Percy ...?" Grover said. "We don't use the **_**c**_**-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."**

**"Perhaps **_**paranoid," **_**Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam..." He looked at me as if he actually expected me to remember question thirty-eight.**

"I wouldn't." Piper frowned. "That's for sure."

"I don't think any of us would." Leo nodded.

"Maybe Annabeth," Jason shrugged.

Annabeth smirked. "Maybe."

**How could anyone accuse me of stealing a god's weapon? I couldn't even steal a slice of pizza from Gabe's poker party without getting busted. **

"Okay, we have to teach Percy how to steal." Travis looked at his brother.

"No you don't." Annabeth told them. "Stay away from him."

**Chiron was waiting for an answer.**

**"Something about a golden net?" I guessed. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods ... they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"**

"Really?" Rachel asked.

"That's lame." Nico said.

"I doubt it worked." Thalia shook her head.

**"Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along—the proverbial last straw."**

"Percy seems to be the last straw for everything." Piper laughed. "From what I've heard."

"Pretty much." Everyone agreed.

**"But I'm just a kid!"**

**"Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you... Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?"**

"No," Travis sighed. "But it may put a twist in my attitude."

"Yeah, who wears togas now a days?" Connor laughed.

"Apollo did when Rachel became the oracle." Nico said.

"Hmmm…I'm glad I didn't see that." Grover thought.

**"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon—my dad—he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"**

**Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. **

"That is the problem for so many things." Jason threw his hands up.

"Here's how it goes in my head," Leo said. "You stole it. No I didn't. Yes you did. No I didn't. Yes! No!"

"You are a weird child, Valdez." Piper laughed.

"You got it, Beauty Queen." Leo grinned.

**Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. **

"That's easy!" Leo complained. "We had like, 3 days."

"It's didn't end up being 10 days." Annabeth shook her head.

"Yeah," Grover agreed. "We were…held up…"

"By what?" Piper asked.

"I'm sure you'll see." They said together.

**Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. **

"Not gonna happen." The group muttered.

**But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?"**

"Bad." Travis said.

"Very bad." Connor nodded.

"So simplistic." Annabeth sighed.

**"Bad?" I guessed.**

"Him too." Leo laughed.

"All of us." Nico rolled his eyes.

**"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."**

"I love water balloon fights!" Travis said gleefully.

"Ooh, I remember this one time-" Connor started.

"Don't need to know." Rachel interrupted.

**"Bad," I repeated.**

**"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."**

**It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.**

"Well, someone's pissed off," Thalia looked at the ceiling.

"Very pissed off." Nico nodded.

_**I **_**had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of me. I was furious.**

"And Ares isn't even there." Grover joked.

"Ummm, what?" No one but Annabeth got it.

"Nothing," he waved his hand. "Inside joke."

**"So I have to find the stupid bolt," I said. "And return it to Zeus."**

**"What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"**

**"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?"**

"Well, that's complicated really." Annabeth explained.

"Too complicated." Grover agreed. "I still don't really get it."

"That's magic for you." Annabeth nodded.

"You two are confusing me." Nico said.

**"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago ... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."**

"This should be interesting." Jason sat forward.

"It's not that great." Thalia grimaced.

**"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?"**

**"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."**

"Good reason." Leo agreed.

**I swallowed. "Good reason."**

**"You agree then?"**

**I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly.**

**Easy for him. I was the one Zeus wanted to kill.**

"I bet Zeus was mad enough to kill most people at that point." Connor said.

**"All right," I said. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."**

**"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."**

**Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trap door.**

"You know, I never noticed that it was green." Travis realized.

"Why is that important?" Rachel asked.

Travis shrugged. "I don't know. Just felt like sharing that."

**I pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place.**

**The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else ... a smell I remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes.**

"I don't smell like snakes." Rachel said defensively.

"That's not you, Rach." Thalia told her.

"Still," Rachel frowned. "I feel offended."

**I held my breath and climbed.**

**The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, **

"Wait a second," Annabeth put up her hands. "They went to Circe's island and left unharmed with a sticker?"

"Bad experiences there, Annabeth?" Travis laughed.

"Not me, but Percy does." She answered.

"I want to read about that." Nico wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm sure you do."

**And LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled **_**things**_—**severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.**

"Sounds lovely." Leo frowned.

"I would not want to meet one." Piper said.

"No you don't." Annabeth agreed.

"Have faced like every monster or something?" Jason asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "A fair few."

**By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy.**

"Whoa. What?" Jason's eyes widened.

"That's totally creepy." Piper muttered.

**Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shriveled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.**

"That's cause she has been, Perce." Nico said quietly while Leo, Jason, and Piper were looking shocked at the realization.

"If it hadn't of been for you and Percy, Nic." Thalia smiled. "That would still be our oracle."

Nico grinned at the somewhat compliment.

**Looking at her sent chills up my back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. **

Leo shuddered. "Ughh, horrible."

"Why is the oracle a mummy?" Jason asked incredulously.

"A curse." Rachel sighed.

**A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled over myself trying to get to the trap door, but it slammed shut.**

"Even better." Piper muttered.

**Inside my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain: **_**I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.**_

"Why did she always do that and yet Rachel never does?" Nico wondered.

"Hmmm, maybe because Rachel already knows what the seeker wants." Annabeth reasoned.

**I wanted to say, **_**No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bath room. **_

Everyone laughed and the tension broke a bit.

**But I forced myself to take a deep breath.**

**The mummy wasn't alive. She was some kind of gruesome receptacle for something else, the power that was now swirling around me in the green mist. But its presence didn't feel evil, like my demonic math teacher Mrs. Dodds or the Minotaur. It felt more like the Three Fates I'd seen knitting the yarn outside the highway fruit stand: ancient, powerful, and definitely **_**not **_**human. **

"Smart observation." Jason nodded.

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I never thought of it that way."

**But not particularly interested in killing me, either.**

"Probably one of the only things on this planet." Grover muttered.

"Oh we could make it happen." Travis looked at Rachel.

"We could definitely make it happen." Connor added.

"Never mind." Grover rolled his eyes.

**I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"**

**The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces became clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his buddies.**

"Why…" Piper wondered.

"I have no clue." Annabeth shook her head.

"That is so weird." Thalia agreed.

**My fists clenched, though I knew this poker party couldn't be real. It was an illusion, made out of mist.**

**Gabe turned toward me and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle: **_**You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.**_

"People seem to go west a lot in these quests, don't they?" Nico mused.

"No duh, we're in the very east of the states, where else would they go?" Thalia face-palmed.

Nico shrugged. "South? North?"

**His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: **_**You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.**_

"That's good." Jason nodded.

"Yeah, definitely." Leo agreed.

**The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: **_**You shall he betrayed by one who calls you a friend.**_

"Okay, not so much." Jason changed his mind.

"What friend?" Piper wondered to herself.

**Finally, Eddie, our building superior, delivered the worst line of all: **_**And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.**_

"Well, that's not good." Thalia said.

"What kind of prophecy was that?" Nico frowned. "You'll go west and find the bolt but you'll also be betrayed and fail to save something. Great, just great."

Annabeth was looking down at her lap. She had never heard the whole prophecy before and was putting two and two together.

**The figures began to dissolve. At first I was too stunned to say anything, but as the mist retreated, coiling into a huge green serpent and slithering back into the mouth of the mummy, I cried, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"**

Rachel snorted. "Like he'd actually get an answer."

"I think I'd die of shock if he did." Travis surmised.

"I could make it happen." Nico said hopefully.

**The tail of the mist snake disappeared into the mummy's mouth. She reclined back against the wall. Her mouth closed tight, as if it hadn't been open in a hundred years. The attic was silent again, abandoned, nothing but a room full of mementos.**

**I got the feeling that I could stand here until I had cob webs, too, and I wouldn't learn anything else.**

"Probably." Thalia laughed.

"Even longer, most likely." Annabeth smiled.

**My audience with the Oracle was over.**

**"Well?" Chiron asked me.**

**I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."**

"Well someone's not in a good mood!" Connor exclaimed.

"Would you?" Piper snorted.

"Point taken."

**Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!"**

**"What did the Oracle say **_**exactly?" **_**Chiron pressed. "This is important."**

"He's not gonna tell the whole thing, is he?" Jason asked.

"Nope." Grover shook his head.

"He's not the only one to withhold information." Annabeth said quietly.

**My ears were still tingling from the reptilian voice. "She ... she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."**

**"I knew it," Grover said.**

"Of course you did, goat boy." Connor laughed.

"Oh shut it." Grover sighed.

**Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?"**

**I didn't want to tell him.**

"I wouldn't either." Jason said.

"Not all that different from ours actually." Piper frowned. "In the sense of ending badly I mean."

"True," Leo nodded. "You shall fail to save what matters most, in the end. Vs. Death unleashed at Hera's rage."

"Prophecies aren't exactly spirit builders." Rachel sighed.

**What friend would betray me? I didn't have that many.**

**And the last line—I would fail to save what mattered most. What kind of Oracle would send me on a quest and tell me, **_**Oh, by the way, you'll fail**_.

"Mine, apparently." Rachel said. "Happens a lot."

"Stupid, stupid, prophecies." Thalia grumbled.

**How could I confess that?**

**"No," I said. "That's about it."**

**He studied my face. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."**

"Obviously he knew." Annabeth said.

"Sometimes it feels like he knows everything." Nico muttered.

**I got the feeling he knew I was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make me feel better.**

**"Okay," I said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west?"**

**"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"**

Nico gritted his teeth.

Thalia put a hand on his shoulder. "It's better now, Cus."

He sighed. "I know."

**"Somebody else who wants to take over?" I guessed.**

**"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."**

"Hades?" Leo asked.

"Yes and no." Grover answered.

"Cause that makes total sense." He muttered.

**I thought about my dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "Hades."**

**Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."**

"No it's not." Travis sang.

"It's not, it's not, it's not!" Connor added.

"We get it guys." Rachel told them.

**A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"**

Nico laughed. "How does a scrap of aluminum _dribble_ out of someone's mouth?"

"Probably just Percy and his weird descriptions." Thalia smiled.

**"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."**

**"Yes, but—but Hades hates **_**all **_**heroes," Grover pro tested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."**

"Na," Nico said. "Dad just hates Percy because he's Percy."

"A few gods do." Annabeth chuckled.

**"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued.** **"Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. **

Travis coughed but didn't say anything.

**He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."**

"That," Nico consented. "Was probably true. He really does not like Percy."

"How exactly has he been in the underworld as much as he has without dying?" Piper asked.

"With great difficulty." Thalia said.

**"Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."**

Rachel snorted. "I'd like to know just how many gods want to kill him."

"I'll work on it." Travis took out a notebook and wrote it down.

"…okay then."

**"But a quest to ..." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."**

**"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon.**

Nico sighed. "Chiron's not really helping the case."

"Yes he his." Leo said.

"Not that case."

**I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."**

"True enough." Grover agreed.

"It's always about revealing the truth, isn't it?" Jason mused.

"Kind of." Annabeth nodded.

**A strange fire burned in my stomach. The weirdest thing was: it wasn't fear. It was anticipation. The desire for revenge. **

"Well that's…good, I guess." Rachel said.

"Unless it gets you killed." Thalia pointed out.

**Hades had tried to kill me three times so far, with the Fury, the Minotaur, and the hellhound. It was his fault my mother had disappeared in a flash of light. **

"That's true." Nico muttered.

**Now he was trying to frame me and my dad for a theft we hadn't committed.**

"But that's not."

"Stop talking to yourself, Nico." Connor said.

"Yeah, it's weird." Travis added.

**I was ready to take him on.**

**Besides, if my mother was in the Underworld …**

**Whoa, boy, said the small part of my brain that was still sane. You're a kid. Hades is a god.**

"Good to know he has some common sense." Thalia nodded.

"Just how…developed was this getting his mom back idea?" Jason wondered.

"Very." Annabeth said slyly.

**Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.**

**The poor guy needed to complete a quest with me so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that was, but how could I ask him to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said I was destined to fail? This was suicide.**

"Oh, I can think of more suicidal things he's done." Rachel said.

"I think most of us can." Nico agreed.

**"Look, if we know its Hades," I told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."**

"That's reminds me of that show, Hercules Busts Heads." Connor laughed.

"I remember that!" Travis smiled. "I was sad when it was canceled."

**"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. **

"How come?" Leo asked.

**Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. **

"I see." Leo said.

**Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it.**

"And stupid enough." Annabeth added.

"That's definitely a factor." Thalia laughed.

"No wonder Percy has done so much." Nico said.

Everyone in the group laughed.

**No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"**

**"You're saying I'm being used."**

"We all are." Jason sighed.

"Unfortunately." Leo agreed.

**"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."**

**My dad needs me.**

"Awww," Travis cooed. "Is Percy happy that his daddy needs him?"

"Has he been missing him?" Connor asked.

Piper and Annabeth chucked pillows at them and let's just say, they stopped.

**Emotions rolled around inside me like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope. I didn't know whether to feel resentful or grateful or happy or angry. Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed me.**

"Pretty depressing, isn't it?" Rachel pointed out.

"Too depressing." Nico nodded.

"It gets better as time goes on, at least." Thalia smiled sadly.

**I looked at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"**

**"I had my suspicions. As I said ... I've spoken to the Oracle, too."**

**I got the feeling there was a lot he wasn't telling me about his prophecy, but I decided I couldn't worry about that right now. After all, I was holding back information too.**

"I'd like to know just how many prophecies that Chiron has had told to him…" Annabeth wondered.

"More than humanly possible." Leo ventured a guess.

**"So let me get this straight," I said. "I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."**

"Check." Travis and Connor said.

**"Check," Chiron said.**

**"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."**

"Check." They said again and everyone groaned.

**"Check."**

**"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."**

"Yup, that's all." Travis finished.

"Even when all doesn't go to plan." Connor said.

**"That's about right."**

**I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.**

**"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.**

Grover looked down ashamed.

"I've never been to Maine…" Nico mused.

**"You don't have to go," I told him. "I can't ask that of you.**

**"Oh ..." He shifted his hooves. "No ... it's just that satyrs and underground places ... well..."**

"You say that and yet you were in the labyrinth for like, 3 weeks." Thalia laughed.

"Hmmm, I guess you're right." Grover shrugged. "Though it was after this."

"You've been in the labyrinth?" Jason asked.

Grover nodded. "And Nico and Annabeth and Percy and Clarisse and Tyson…a bunch of people."

"Well then."

**He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If ... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."**

"That's really nice," Piper smiled at Grover.

**I felt so relieved I wanted to cry,** **though I didn't think that would be very heroic. **

"Not very." Thalia teased.

"No, very." Nico laughed.

**Grover was the only friend I'd ever had for longer than a few months. I wasn't sure what good a satyr could do against the forces of the dead, but I felt better knowing he'd be with me.**

"Oh, thanks, Percy," Grover said sarcastically.

"You were great, Grover." Annabeth told him.

"We all were." He smiled.

**"All the way, G-man." I turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."**

**"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."**

"Of course." Leo rolled his eyes.

"Where else would it be?" Nico nodded.

**"Where?"**

**Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."**

"Why would he just automatically know that?" Rachel wondered.

"I did," Nico bragged.

"No duh, you're the son of the Hades, how wouldn't you?" Thalia pushed him off the couch.

"Hey!"

**"Oh," I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane—"**

**"No!" Grover shrieked. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"**

"Obviously he wasn't." Jason laughed.

"Wait, why?" Piper asked.

"Zeus, the air. Poseidon's kid."

"Oh, right."

**I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. My mom had never taken me anywhere by plane. She'd always said we didn't have the money. Besides, her parents had died in a plane crash.**

**"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."**

"That seems like foreshadowing to me." Annabeth noted.

"Yeah," Grover agreed. "It does, doesn't it?"

"You're telling me," Jason asked. "That Percy took a plane somewhere, and lived."

"Maybe…"

**Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.**

**"Okay," I said, determined not to look at the storm. "So, I'll travel overland."**

**"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."**

"Gee, I wonder who that could be." Nico said sarcastically.

Annabeth smiled.

**"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"**

**The air shimmered behind Chiron.**

"And Annabeth appears." Travis announced.

"And it all starts." Connor added.

**Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.**

**"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."**

"Too true." Thalia laughed.

"I do help with that often." Annabeth smirked.

"That's an understatement." Rachel grinned.

**"If you do say so yourself," I said. "I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?"**

"Ooh, back talk." Connor said.

"Oh no he di-n't!" Travis laughed.

**Her cheeks colored. "Do you want my help or not?"**

**The truth was, I did. I needed all the help I could get.**

Annabeth smiled. "He knew I was right."

"He always does." Nico nodded. "Even if he won't admit it."

**"A trio," I said. "That'll work."**

**"Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."**

"I'd say that that's the best part of the quest." Leo said.

"It's not always that good." Thalia frowned.

"But, it can be fun." Nico admitted.

**Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.**

**"No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."**

"That's it." Grover put the book down.

"Next chapter, the quest begins." Annabeth said.

"Good, I want to hear it." Rachel nodded.

"Dude, you're only one who hasn't read. It's your turn now." Travis told his brother.

"Okay," Connor agreed and picked up the book.

**There it is…sorry that it wasn't all that good…even if it took forever to write…mainly because I didn't want to write it but that's beside the point. Review if you can and thanks for reading.**


	12. Chapter 12: I Ruin A Perfectly Good Bus

**You know, I used to think that there was too much time in a day…now I think that there isn't enough. I'm really sorry that I like disappeared this last week, I've had no time to write and…I'm sorry.**

**But, here's a chapter now. Sorry for the wait.**

**Thanks for the comments! Everyone is so nice!**

**Remember R & R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO…**

**I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus**

"Now, Percy." Nico scolded. "Why would you do that?"

"Because it's the most fun a guy can have, of course," Travis smirked.

"Aside from pulling pranks," Connor added.

"Guys, there's this thing called sarcasm…learn to understand it." Nico rolled his eyes.

**It didn't take me long to pack. I decided to leave the Minotaur horn in my cabin, which left me only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack Grover had found for me.**

"Talk about light packing," Piper said.

"Wait," Annabeth told here. "Just listen."

**The camp store loaned me one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. **

"100 bucks won't get you that far." Leo frowned.

"It didn't," Grover agreed.

**These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. **

"Don't you just love girl guide cookies?" Connor exclaimed.

Travis nodded. "They're like little drops of heaven."

"Did I mention that you two are weird?" Jason smirked.

"Many times."

**The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told us, but Olympians never used less than pure gold. Chiron said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions—whatever that meant. **

Cue the facepalms.

Piper shrugged. "Give him a break guys. It's not like he's been there for very long."

"Oh, we know." Thalia exclaimed. "It's just so much fun making fun of him. Plus, Percy can take a joke which makes it even better."

**He gave Annabeth and me each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt. It was god food, **

"Very tasty god food." Nico sighed.

"I wonder…do the gods eat anything other than ambrosia and nectar?" Travis mused.

Annabeth sighed. "Let's not get into this right now."

**Chiron reminded us. It would cure us of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally.**

"Anyone know what spontaneous combustion feels like?" Connor wondered.

"Ask Jason," Piper said. "He's the only person I know who's come close to it."

Jason frowned, thinking of the memory.

"Percy almost did once." Grover remembered.

"Oh yeah," Annabeth laughed. "When he sat on the thr-"

Thalia elbowed her. "_Some _people don't know yet so shhhh."

Annabeth smiled sheepishly.

**Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, **

"A perfectly good book, ruined." Annabeth grumbled.

"Care to explain?" Nico asked.

"Not in your life time."

"Ouch. That hurts me deep, Anne, it really does."

**and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. **

**I was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector.**

"He needs to be taught a lesson on this stuff." Rachel laughed.

"Wouldn't help." Grover smiled.

**Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. **

"Explain this to me," Leo interrupted. "How in hades does scrap metal taste good?"

"I don't know," Grover smiled dreamily. "It's just so flavorful and healthy and satisfying."

"Snap out of it bro." Jason waved a hand in front of Grover's face.

He stared around. "What?"

**In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday," **

**both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.**

"Feeling the love here, Perce." Grover said. "Feeling the love."

"It's true," Annabeth muttered so Grover couldn't hear.

**We waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.**

"What on earth is the point of mentioning me?" Thalia exclaimed. "I'm a tree for gods sake."

"Well, you see dear Thalia. Percy was just so impressed with you that he took every opportunity to gaze upon you to learn your secrets and how you did what you did." Travis swooned.

"Lame!" Connor whispered.

**Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the surfer dude I'd seen when I was recovering in the sick room. According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. **

"Can't ever fully be asleep either." Jason said.

"Must suck." Leo yawned. "Okay, now I'm tired."

"Same here. I say we take a nap after this chapter." Rachel nodded.

"Sounds like a plan, man." Connor agreed.

**Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so I could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.**

**"This is Argus," Chiron told me. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."**

Piper snorted. "Great way to put it Chiron."

"He is a master with words." Travis exclaimed.

Piper just rolled her eyes.

**I heard footsteps behind us.**

**Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.**

**"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."**

Annabeth smiled sadly and Thalia squeezed her shoulder.

**Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.**

**"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told me. "And I thought ... um, maybe you could use these."**

**He handed me the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal.**

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rachel laughed.

"With Percy," Nico shrugged. "You never know."

**Luke said, **_**"Maia!"**_

**White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling me so much, I dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.**

"Okay, that's awesome." Leo said. "Now if they were mechanical…well, I can only imagine."

"Stop daydreaming, Valdez. It isn't good for you." Jason smiled.

Leo raised his eyebrows in a 'what?' expression.

"I'm joking, geez."

**"Awesome!" Grover said.**

**Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." His expression turned sad.**

As did most of the expressions of the people in the room.

**I didn't know what to say. It was cool enough that Luke had come to say good-bye. I'd been afraid he might resent me for getting so much attention the last few days. But here he was giving me a magic gift... It made me blush almost as much as Annabeth.**

"I was not blushing!" Annabeth exclaimed.

Everyone knew better than to say anything; Travis and Connor were whispering to each other though.

**"Hey, man," I said. "Thanks."**

**"Listen, Percy ..." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just ... kill some monsters for me, okay?"**

**We shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out.**

Annabeth grumbled.

"S'ok Annie." Connor patted her on the back.

"Don't call me Annie." She said as Connor landed on the floor with a thud.

**After Luke was gone, I told her, "You're hyperventilating."**

**"Am not."**

**"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"**

**"Oh ... why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?"**

"I could think of a few reasons." Thalia smirked.

"So could I." Nico laughed.

"We all could…" Rachel agreed.

**She stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.**

"That's so mortal." Leo grinned.

"Totally!" the Stolls exclaimed.

**I picked up the flying shoes and had a sudden bad feeling. I looked at Chiron. "I won't be able to use these, will I?"**

**He shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air ... that would not be wise for you."**

"Many things aren't wise for Percy," Annabeth shook her head. "But does that stop him?"

"It's good for us that they don't." Grover said.

"Too true." Nico agreed.

**I nodded, disappointed, but then I got an idea. "Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?"**

**His eyes lit up. "Me?"**

"That was nice." Piper smiled.

"Yeah," Grover nodded. "And they were awesome shoes."

**Pretty soon we'd laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch.**

"Go flying goat boy!" Travis shouted as Connor jumped up and started running around the room flapping his arms.

"Goat boy, ready for launch…"Connor whispered.

"And 3! 2! 1! Lift off!" Travis leaped out of his seat and 'soared' across the room.

"And there you have it ladies and gentlemen…the world's first flying goat boy." Connor and Travis sat back down like nothing at happened.

No one said anything for a moment until Rachel sighed and said "Just keep reading, Connor."

_**"Maia!" **_**he shouted.**

**He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down like tiny broncos.**

**"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"**

"And a good situation to use them in." Jason said.

"Oh I got the situation alright," Grover laughed.

**"Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van.**

"Possessed lawn mower?" Thalia shook her head. "Where does he come up with things?"

"I have no idea. And did you know that Grover looks like a possessed lawn mower?" Nico laughed.

"No, I did not. But I see it now." Thalia said as they both stared at Grover.

Grover stuck his tongue out at them. "Oh boohoo."

**Before I could follow, Chiron caught my arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy," he said. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason—they all got more training."**

"Most people got more training than Percy." Annabeth acknowledged.

"Ummm, person who got less training than Percy sitting right here." Leo waved a hand in the air.

"And hear." Piper joined in.

"You know what I mean." Annabeth shrugged.

**"That's okay. I just wish—"**

**I stopped myself because I was about to sound like a brat. I was wishing my dad had given me a cool magic item to help on the quest, something as good as Luke's flying shoes, or Annabeth's invisible cap.**

"Anyone would be wishing that, you got to admit." Travis said.

"Very true." His brother agreed.

**"What am I thinking?" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away without this."**

**He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and handed it to me. It was an ordinary disposable ballpoint, black ink, removable cap. Probably cost thirty cents.**

"What's so great about that?" Leo asked.

Thalia grinned. "Oh you'll see."

**"Gee," I said. "Thanks."**

**"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one."**

"…a pen a gift from is father?" Piper wondered.

"A better question is, how long has he had it?" Nico mused.

"For quite some time, I'd say." Annabeth answered.

**I remembered the field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when I'd vaporized Mrs. Dodds. Chiron had thrown me a pen that turned into a sword. Could this be...?**

"Oh, I see now." Leo nodded. "That is one cool weapon."

"Whose do you think is cooler?" Travis challenged. "Percy's or Jason's?"

"Well, actually, I'd say my tool belt is the best of them all." Leo smirked.

"Of course you would Valdez." Piper laughed.

**I took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. **

"Gold studs?" Connor's eyes widened. "Sweet!"

"Calm your horses." Rachel said.

"But," he smiled. "I don't have any horses."

**It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand.**

**"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told me. **

"What happened?" Jason questioned.

Thalia sighed. "As Chiron said, we need not go into it."

**"Its name is Anaklusmos."**

**"'Riptide,'" I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily.**

**"Use it only for emergencies," Chiron said, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them in any case."**

"Now that I can attest to." Rachel laughed.

"Do I even want to know?" Grover asked.

"It's not that bad. But heed this warning. Don't sneeze near Percy when he is being pursued by skeletons."

The room burst out laughing.

"I am so doing that!" Connor yelled.

"Where are you gonna get skeletons?" Nico raised an eyebrow. Connor looked pointedly at him. "I'm sorry I asked."

**I looked at the wickedly sharp blade. "What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals?" How could it not?"**

**"The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. **

"Isn't that dangerous?" Piper frowned. "What it the person falls in?"

"That's not something we should worry about." Annabeth shook her head.

**It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill. **

"Now I'm offended." Rachel said.

"Don't blame us, blame Chiron." Leo pointed outside. "He said it, not us."

"You know it's true Rach…" Travis told her and she scowled.

**And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are **_**twice **_**as vulnerable."**

**"Good to know."**

"You think, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth grinned.

"Never." Nico smirked.

**"Now recap the pen."**

**I touched the pen cap to the sword tip and instantly Riptide shrank to a ballpoint pen again. I tucked it in my pocket, a little nervous, because I was famous for losing pens at school.**

"When I went to school, because Lupa ordered it for a while, I was too." Jason agreed.

"You went to school?" Leo asked.

"How else would I be so brilliant and clever." Jason joked.

"Well, you were dropped on your head when you were a baby…" Thalia smiled. "Maybe that knocked some sense into you?"

"Hey!"

"Wouldn't it be the other way around?" Piper asked.

"Maybe…"

**"You can't," Chiron said.**

**"Can't what?"**

**"Lose the pen," he said. **

"Chiron reads minds!" Connor yelled.

"Everyone, save yourselves." Travis ran out of the room screaming.

Thalia sighed, got up, and followed him. Everyone just there for a minute until Thalia came back, dragging Travis by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow…let go!" Travis whinned.

"Then sit still and listen." Thalia pushed him back into his chair, sat down in her own and looked at Connor. "Continue."

**"It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it."**

**I was wary, but I threw the pen as far as I could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass.**

**"It may take a few moments," Chiron told me. "Now check your pocket."**

**Sure enough, the pen was there.**

"That is really useful." Jason noted. "I'm losing my coin all the time."

"If it didn't return," Annabeth said. "Percy would have lost that pen a long time ago."

"That, I can see." Nico laughed.

**"Okay, that's **_**extremely **_**cool," I admitted. "But what if a mortal sees me pulling out a sword?"**

**Chiron smiled. "Mist is a powerful thing, Percy."**

**"Mist?"**

"Love it and hate it." Piper said.

"Everyone does." Grover nodded.

**"Yes. Read **_**The Iliad. **_**It's full of references to the stuff. Whenever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. ** **You will see things just as they are, being a half-blood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality."**

"Amazing how that works." Rachel told them. "Really amazing."

"Yeah, I still can't believe the mortals passed Typhon off as a major storm system." Thalia agreed.

"Or that no mortals realized that Mount Othrys was right up there on Mount Tam along with a supernatural storm system." Annabeth shook her head.

**I put Riptide back in my pocket.**

**For the first time, the quest felt real. I was actually leaving Half-Blood Hill.**

**I was heading west with no adult supervision, no backup plan, not even a cell phone. **

"I want a cellphone," Travis complained.

"Do you want to get eaten by a monster?" Connor asked him.

"Well…no."

"Point taken."

**(Chiron said cell phones were traceable by monsters; if we used one, it would be worse than sending up a flare.) I had no weapon stronger than a sword to fight off monsters and reach the Land of the Dead.**

"**Chiron" I said. "When you say the gods are immortal...I mean, there was a time **_**before **_**them, right?"**

"Four ages, actually." Annabeth said.

Connor snorted.

**"Four ages before them, actually. **

"Great minds think alike." Leo said.

"Why thank you Leo." Annabeth smiled.

**The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age,** **which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth Age."**

**"So what was it like ... before the gods?"**

"He's not that old, Perce." Nico shook his head.

"Old enough." Thalia muttered.

"Don't say that to his face," Rachel laughed.

**Chiron pursed his lips. "Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge. **

Everyone in the room snorted. "Yeah…right."

**But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, **

"I'm wouldn't exactly call him good…"Grover thought. "More like, abnormal."

"He's ruled by fear." Jason said.

"You've seen him?" Piper asked him.

"No, but I have learned more about the other side of the war since I got here." He answered.

**that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."**

"Best thing ever!" Connor yelled.

"For once, you got it right." Rachel smirked.

"What's not to love?" Grover said.

"I could probably think of a thing or two…" Nico said slowly.

"That's because you're you." Thalia poked him in the arm.

"I know."

**"But the gods can't die now, right? I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they're alive. So ... even if I failed, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up **_**everything, **_**right?"**

"Yes, yes you could." Leo said.

"Great confidence, Valdez." Piper mocked him.

"I'm full of it, Beauty Queen." Leo smiled.

**Chiron gave me a melancholy smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. **_**They **_**still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure end less pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. **

"Unfortunately." A few people muttered under their breath.

**May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."**

**"Our destiny ... assuming we know what that is."**

"I do!" Travis announced. "At least, half of it."

"We all do, Stoll." Annabeth said.

**"Relax," Chiron told me. "Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history."**

"Cause that's so relaxing," Jason said.

"He's used to it by now I'd say." Nico noted.

Jason snorted. "I'm sure he is."

**"Relax," I said. "I'm very relaxed."**

"See?" Nico pointed out.

"It's called sarcasm, Death Breath." Thalia smirked.

"Oh shut it, Pinecone Face." Nico snapped back.

**When I got to the bottom of the hill, I looked back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron was now standing in full horse-man form, holding his bow high in salute. Just your typical summer-camp send-off by your typical centaur.**

"Pretty much," Grover agreed.

**Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to me as if we were normal carpoolers. After two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, the real world seemed like a fantasy. **

"Oh please, at that time Annabeth had barely left this place for 5 years." Thalia snorted.

**I found myself staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of his parents' car, every billboard and shopping mall.**

**"So far so good," I told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."**

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Does he have a death wish?"

Annabeth laughed. "Sometimes, it seems like it."

**She gave me an irritated look. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."**

**"Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?"**

**"I don't hate you."**

**"Could've fooled me."**

"Oh, young love." Connor sighed.

"The fights…and the 'making up'…" Travis waggled his eyebrows at Annabeth.

"Oh shut up." Annabeth muttered.

**She folded her cap of invisibility. "Look ... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."**

**"Why?"**

**She sighed. "How many reasons do you want? **

"There aren't _that _many." Thalia reasoned.

Piper frowned. "There's enough."

**One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is **_**hugely **_**disrespectful. **

"And look what that brought us," Nico grumbled.

"What did it bring?" Leo asked.

"Trouble for us all," Jason said mysteriously.

Leo shook his head. "I'm sorry dude, but you aren't very good at being mysterious.

Piper rolled her eyes.

**Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."**

"Who would pick an olive tree over a fountain?" Connor wondered. "Olives are nasty."

Annabeth glared at him. "But what use would a _saltwater_ fountain be, it couldn't even provide drinking water. An olive tree on the other hand can provide food."

Connor shrugged and Travis mumbled something about still wanting the fountain.

**"They must really like olives."**

**"Oh, forget it."**

**"Now, if she'd invented pizza—**_**that **_**I could understand."**

**"I said, forget it!"**

Most of the guys snickered and Rachel managed to punch almost all of them.

**In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at me.**

**Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.**

"What a great omen." Piper said sarcastically.

Grover agreed. "That was not a good day."

**Argus dropped us at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from my mom and Gabe's apartment. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with my picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?**

**I ripped it down before Annabeth and Grover could notice.**

"We noticed." Annabeth sighed.

"Yeah, we just didn't want to say anything." Grover said.

**Argus unloaded our bags, made sure we got our bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.**

"Creeper!" Travis gasped.

"He is'a watching you!" Connor whispered.

"Whatever." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**I thought about how close I was to my old apartment. On a normal day, my mom would be home from the candy store by now. Smelly Gabe was probably up there right now, playing poker, not even missing her.**

"Jerk," Rachel muttered.

"I seriously want to hunt him down." Thalia mumbled.

"Calm down, cuz." Nico said. "Remember, it's all taken care of."

**Grover shouldered his backpack. He gazed down the street in the direction I was looking. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?"**

"Okay, how did you know that?" Leo asked Grover.

Grover shrugged. "I'm a satyr."

"Oh it's all clear now." Leo muttered.

**I stared at him. "Were you reading my mind or something?"**

**"Just your emotions." He shrugged. "Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. **

"So you explain it to him." Leo complained.

"Calm down, Valdez." Piper told him.

**You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"**

**I nodded, wondering what else Grover might've forgotten to tell me.**

Grover thought about it. "Hmmm, I don't think I did."

Annabeth snorted. "This was almost 5 years ago; you're not going to remember that."

"You never know…"

"Oh, I do know."

**"Your mom married Gabe for **_**you," **_**Grover told me. "You call him 'Smelly,' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura…. Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you, and you haven't been near him for a week."**

Piper wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting."

"At least you can't smell the full extent of it." Grover grumbled.

**"Thanks," I said. "Where's the nearest shower?"**

Travis and Connor cracked up. "You could use the one in our cabin…"

"But you might die from the fumes." Connor laughed.

**"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would've been found by monsters a long time ago. **

"Wow," Jason said. "No wonder he's lived as long as he has…up to this point I mean."

"Yeah," Piper agreed.

**Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy—if that makes you feel any better."**

"I don't see how it would." Nico shook his head.

"I would probably feel worse," Thalia nodded.

**It didn't, but I forced myself not to show it. **

**I'll see her again, I thought. She isn't gone.**

"He's got spirit." Jason said. "That I can tell you."

Annabeth laughed. "You have no idea."

**I wondered if Grover could still read my emotions, mixed up as they were. I was glad he and Annabeth were with me, but I felt guilty that I hadn't been straight with them. I hadn't told them the real reason I'd said yes to this crazy quest.**

"I knew." Grover pointed out.

"No duh, you read emotions, goat boy." Thalia snorted.

"For the rest of us, it would be a bit hard." Leo added.

**The truth was, I didn't care about retrieving Zeus's lightning bolt, or saving the world, or even helping my father out of trouble. The more I thought about it, I resented Poseidon for never visiting me, never helping my mom, never even sending a lousy child-support check. He'd only claimed me because he needed a job done.**

Everyone sighed sadly.

"That's the life of a demigod." Jason frowned.

"They have got better since they made that…nevermind." Annabeth remembered that not everyone knew about the promise.

"What?" Piper asked.

"Nothing, keep reading Connor." Annabeth said.

**All I cared about was my mom. Hades had taken her unfairly, and Hades was going to give her back.**

"Not going to work." Rachel snorted.

"Try telling him that." Nico said.

"Good luck with that." Annabeth laughed.

_**You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, **_**the Oracle whispered in my mind. **_**You will fail to save what matters most in the end.**_

_**Shut up, **_**I told it.**

"You really shouldn't talk to yourself, Perce." Travis advised.

"Yeah," Connor agreed. "People may think you've gone a bit odd."

"Says the dorks who are talking to a book." Thalia pointed out.

"Yes, but we pride ourselves on our oddness." They said together.

**The rain kept coming down.**

**We got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable. **

Annabeth smiled. "He wasn't too bad himself."

"I was the best!" Grover called out."

Annabeth chuckled. "Too true."

**She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever. I wasn't too bad myself.**

**The game ended when I tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, our Hacky Sack disappeared—core, stem, and all.**

The room burst out laughing.

"You were indeed the best." Piper said.

"I would like to see that." Leo said.

**Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Annabeth and I were too busy cracking up.**

**Finally the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite school cafeteria delicacy—enchiladas.**

"Uh oh…" Jason noted.

"Uh oh is right." Grover agreed.

**"What is it?" I asked.**

**"I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."**

"It's never nothing." Nico sighed.

"Unfortunately." Leo nodded.

**But I could tell it wasn't nothing. I started looking over my shoulder, too.**

**I was relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our back packs. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.**

"And there he goes noticing the most random things." Annabeth smiled.

"I think it's a talent." Thalia said.

**As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto my knee. **

Travis snickered and Rachel smacked him in the face with a pillow.

**"Percy."**

**An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and my heart skipped a beat.**

"Mine would too," Piper's eyes widened.

"He is really unlucky." Jason shook his head.

"I can't think of a time he hasn't been." Grover said.

"I can," Travis said slyly.

Rachel smacked him again.

**It was Mrs. Dodds. Older, more withered, but definitely the same evil face.**

**I scrunched down in my seat.**

**Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. **

"Really?" Nico snorted. "He's paying more attention to the hats then the monsters themselves."

"And this surprises you because?" Thalia asked.

"Point taken."

**Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses. Triplet demon grandmothers.**

"I am so calling them that from now on," Connor shouted.

"Calm down, dude." Leo said.

**They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.**

"Well then." Piper raised an eyebrow.

"Very subtle." Jason snorted.

"Not good for us." Grover nodded.

**The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan. "She didn't stay dead long," I said, trying to keep my voice from quivering. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."**

**"I said if you're **_**lucky**_**," Annabeth said. "You're obviously not."**

"See? We established this in his first week of knowing he's a demigod." Annabeth said.

"I established that the first time I was with him and not just waking up." Thalia laughed.

**"All three of them," Grover whimpered. **_**"Di immortales!"**_

**"It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. **

"No, no problem at all." Nico rolled his eyes.

"I was trying to loosen the tension." Annabeth mumbled.

"I'm guessing it didn't work?"

"…"

**We'll just slip out the windows."**

**"They don't open," Grover moaned.**

"What kind of bus doesn't have windows?" Rachel asked.

"That kind, obviously." Travis said.

**"A back exit?" she suggested.**

**There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.**

"Oh great." Jason acknowledged. "3 furies, 3 demigods, and a dark tunnel…"

"Tell me about it." Annabeth nodded.

**"They won't attack us with witnesses around," I said. "Will they?"**

**"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminded me. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."**

**"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"**

"More like them killing three old ladies." Rachel frowned.

"Really?" Leo wondered.

"Something like that."

**She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof ... ?"**

**We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.**

"And here we go." Jason announced.

**Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the rest-room."**

"Furies use the washroom?" Connor wondered vaguely.

"Who cares?" Travis asked him.

Connor shrugged. "I don't know..."

**"So do I," said the second sister.**

**"So do I," said the third sister.**

**They all started coming down the aisle.**

**"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat."**

"Good idea." Thalia nodded.

"They'll still smell him though." Nico muttered.

**"What?"**

**"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."**

**"But you guys—"**

"Not gonna work, Perce." Rachel said. "Not when Annabeth already has a plan."

"Got that right." Annabeth nodded.

**"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."**

**"I can't just leave you."**

"He really is loyal." Piper smiled.

"Yeah…" Annabeth sighed and Thalia put an arm around her.

**"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"**

**My hands trembled. I felt like a coward, but I took the Yankees cap and put it on.**

**When I looked down, my body wasn't there anymore.**

"No duh!" Nico gasped.

"Hey, it can be a pretty weird feeling." Thalia said.

"I guess."

**I started creeping up the aisle. I managed to get up ten rows, then duck into an empty seat just as the Furies walked past.**

**Mrs. Dodds stopped, sniffing, and looked straight at me. My heart was pounding.**

"Obviously she knew he was there." Leo said.

"Still, not seeing him is what saved us." Grover shrugged.

**Apparently she didn't see anything. She and her sisters kept going.**

**I was free. I made it to the front of the bus. We were almost through the Lincoln Tunnel now. I was about to press the emergency stop button when I heard hideous wailing from the back row.**

"Oh boy." Rachel muttered.

**The old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same—I guess those couldn't get any uglier—**

"That, is true." Nico nodded.

"Definitely true." Jason agreed.

**but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.**

"I'd like to know how that works…" Leo mused.

"Magic!" Connor gasped.

Leo raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged.

**The Furies surrounded Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"**

Jason's eyebrows scrunched together. "It?"

"Yup." Annabeth sighed. "It."

"Now I'm really confused." Piper said.

"Try being on the quest." Grover muttered.

**The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. They saw **_**something, **_**all right.**

**"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!"**

**The Furies raised their whips.**

**Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it.**

"What in hades is that going to do?" Nico asked him.

Grover blushed and shrugged.

**What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should've been named ADHD poster child of the year.**

"I can arrange that." Travis said.

"Yes." Connor's eyes widened. "Then we can make signs and put them all around camp and…shutting up now."

**The bus driver was distracted, trying to see what was going on in his rearview mirror.**

**Still invisible, I grabbed the wheel from him and jerked it to the left. Everybody howled as they were thrown to the right, and I heard what I hoped was the sound of three Furies smashing against the windows.**

"It was!" Grover said gleefully.

"Go Percy!" Travis shouted.

**"Hey!" the driver yelled. "Hey—whoa!"**

"That'd be so weird." Annabeth laughed. "Wrestling with an invisible force."

**We wrestled for the wheel. The bus slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind us.**

**We careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters tossed around the bus, cars plowed aside like bowling pins.**

"So not only does he wreck a bus…but he wrecks cars, rails, monsters, and people?" Leo asked.

"Pretty much." Annabeth agreed.

"I love this guy!"

**Somehow the driver found an exit. We shot off the highway, through half a dozen traffic lights, and ended up barreling down one of those New Jersey rural roads where you can't believe there's so much nothing right across the river from New York. There were woods to our left, the Hudson River to our right, and the driver seemed to be veering toward the river.**

"Oh, great idea." Jason said sarcastically. "Drown everyone why don't you."

Everyone laughed.

**Another great idea: I hit the emergency brake.**

"Bravo, bravo!" Connor clapped.

"Shut up." Thalia rolled her eyes.

**The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him. **

"Isn't the driver supposed to be the last one out?" Piper mused.

"In normal situations." Nico agreed.

"Which this wasn't." Annabeth nodded.

**I stepped into the driver's seat and let them pass.**

**The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans.**

"Honestly, dude." Nico turned to Grover. "What is that going to do?"

"It was all I had." Grover complained.

**I looked at the open doorway. I was free to go, but I couldn't leave my friends. I took off the invisible cap. "Hey!"**

**The Furies turned, baring their yellow fangs at me, and the exit suddenly seemed like an excellent idea. **

"Maybe it's a good thing that Clarisse isn't here at the moment." Rachel said.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

**Mrs. Dodds stalked up the aisle, just as she used to do in class, about to deliver my F- math test. Every time she flicked her whip, red flames danced along the barbed leather.**

"That must smell bad." Leo said.

"What?" Piper asked.

"Well, logically, if the leather is…nevermind." Leo shook his head.

**Her two ugly sisters hopped on top of the seats on either side of her and crawled toward me like huge nasty lizards.**

**"Perseus Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said, in an accent that was definitely from somewhere farther south than Georgia. "You have offended the gods. You shall die."**

"If offending the gods was all it took, he'd be dead a long time ago." Rachel snorted.

"He'd already be dead." Nico laughed.

**"I liked you better as a math teacher," I told her.**

"There he goes with the random things." Thalia pointed out.

**She growled.**

**Annabeth and Grover moved up behind the Furies cautiously, looking for an opening.**

**I took the ballpoint pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide elongated into a shimmering double-edged sword.**

**The Furies hesitated.**

"Hmmm, now that's strange." Jason said.

"How's that?" Leo asked.

"Well, all the times I've encountered them, they haven't hesitated one bit."

**Mrs. Dodds had felt Riptide's blade before. She obviously didn't like seeing it again.**

**"Submit now," she hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."**

**"Nice try," I told her.**

**"Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried.**

"Maiden in shining armour." Connor swooned.

"That again." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Mrs. Dodds lashed her whip around my sword hand while the Furies on the either side lunged at me.**

**My hand felt like it was wrapped in molten lead, but I managed not to drop Riptide. I stuck the Fury on the left with its hilt, sending her toppling backward into a seat. **

"Bye bye birdy!" Travis called out.

"She's not a bird." Nico said.

"No duh."

**I turned and sliced the Fury on the right. As soon as the blade connected with her neck, she screamed and exploded into dust. **

Jason snorted. "Makes it sound like he decapitated her."

"As messy as it is, I'm glad monsters explode into dust." Piper said.

"Agreed." Everyone nodded.

**Annabeth got Mrs. Dodds in a wrestler's hold and yanked her backward while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.**

**"Ow!" he yelled. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"**

Everyone laughed and Grover blushed.

"Did you not think of that before you took it?" Thalia smirked.

"…no."

**The Fury I'd hilt-slammed came at me again, talons ready, but I swung Riptide and she broke open like a piñata.**

"Great description." Rachel laughed.

**Mrs. Dodds was trying to get Annabeth off her back. She kicked, clawed, hissed and bit, but Annabeth held on while Grover got Mrs. Dodds's legs tied up in her own whip. Finally they both shoved her backward into the aisle. Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her bat wings, so she kept falling down.**

"Why didn't you kill her?" Jason asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "Don't remember."

**"Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your soul!"**

_**"Braccas meas vescimini!"**_** I yelled.**

Jason chuckled. "Good one."

Most people stared at him blankly.

"What does that mean?" Piper asked him.

"I'm sure it'll say.

**I wasn't sure where the Latin came from.**

"Neither did I." Annabeth laughed. "Was not expecting it."

"Why Latin? Why not Greek?" Leo wondered.

"Greek demigods know some Latin." Annabeth explained. "Just not to the same extent as Jason."

"Oh."

**I think it meant "Eat my pants!"**

Everyone burst out laughing.

**Thunder shook the bus. The hair rose on the back of my neck.**

**"Get out!" Annabeth yelled at me. "Now!" I didn't need any encouragement.**

"Oh no." Jason said.

"You think?" Annabeth asked.

"What?" Piper wondered.

"Nothing."

**We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" **

Everyone laughed.

"I'd pay to see that." Travis laughed.

"Okay," Connor shrugged. He got up and started running in circles yelling that he was going to die.

"Not from you." Travis pushed him down. "Keep reading.

**A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped my photograph before I could recap my sword.**

**"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our—"**

_**BOOOOOM!**_

"Dad!" Jason and Thalia yelled at the same time.

Everyone snickered but stopped when Thalia gave them a death glare.

**The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told me Mrs. Dodds was not yet dead.**

"So he does that and still doesn't kill the fury?" Leo shook his head.

"Unfortunately." Grover agreed

**"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"**

**We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us, and nothing but darkness ahead.**

"He's so cryptic about these things." Travis laughed.

"See, he's more pessimistic than I am," Nico pointed out.

"No he's not." Thalia shook her head.

"Anyways," Connor interrupted. "Chapter's done."

"Nap time!" Rachel called out.

"Is there enough room for us all to sleep in here?" Piper asked.

"If 2 people go sleep somewhere else, then yes." Annabeth said.

"Okay, Travis and I will just-" Connor started.

"Oh no, you two are not leaving." Nico told them.

"Yeah, Thalia and I will, everyone else can stay here." Annabeth put in.

"Sounds good." Thalia got up and walked to the door.

"We can sleep until the majority of us are up, then we'll wake up whoever's left." Jason said.

"Okay, bye guys." Thalia left and Annabeth followed.

**There it is, another chapter finished, whether it was good or not (and I know the ending was lame but I have homework and studying to do, sorry)…thanks for reading though and review if you can. **

**The Son of Neptune comes out tomorrow! Is everyone as excited as me? I plan to spend my evening tomorrow reading it…so no chapter will be written till the end of the week…but I'll do my best.**

**~Sid-Nilos**


	13. Chapter 13: We Visit the Emporium

**Yay! I kept my promise! Here is the next chapter…finally! It's a long one too. 16 pages on a word document…whew! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the wonderful, fantastic, amazing PJO or HoO series. I'm not RR.**

About 8 hours later, everyone was awake and back in the reading room, ready to get started. They were showing down on various food items that had appeared all over the room as the reading started.

"Who reading now?" Jason asked, his mouth full.

"Everyone's read already, so I guess I'll start again." Annabeth shrugged. She picked up the book and started reading.

**We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium**

Grover shivered. "Dangit, I forgot this was next."

"How could you forget this?" Annabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"I don't know," Grover shrugged. "I repressed the bad memory."

"Okay, it wasn't that bad." Annabeth said.

"Yes it was."

"No, it wasn't"

"Okay, can we please continue?" Piper asked.

"Fine," Annabeth grumbled.

**In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong.**

"Rofl, too true!" Leo exclaimed.

"Really? Rofl?" Jason asked.

"You got a problem with that?" Leo countered.

Jason snorted. "Not at all."

**For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck;**

"Well, when you're Percy, it is partly bad luck." Thalia reasoned.

**when you're a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.**

"That too." Thalia said.

**So there we were, Annabeth and Grover and I, walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind us, and the smell of the Hudson reeking in our noses.**

"Stupid mortals polluting the wild." Grover mumbled.

"Hey! Not all of us are like that." Rachel protested.

"Still…the wild just keeps getting worse."

"Enough about the wild!" Travis exclaimed.

"I want to finish this book before I die, thank you very much." Connor agreed.

**Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror.**

**"Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."**

**I was pretty much in shock myself. The explosion of bus windows still rang in my ears. But Annabeth kept pulling us along, saying: "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."**

Jason nodded. "That was the right move."

"I know." Annabeth smirked.

**"All our money was back there," I reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."**

**"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—"**

**"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"**

**"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."**

"Young love!" Connor yelled.

Piper smack him. "Do you ever shut up?"

He pretended to think about it. "Nope."

"Yeah, well. Shut up!" Piper charm-spoke and Connor looked stunned.

**"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."**

**"Shut up, goat boy," said Annabeth.**

**Grover brayed mournfully. "Tin cans ... a perfectly good bag of tin cans."**

"Oh, Grover. You crack me up." Travis laughed.

Grover frowned. "I'm not taking that as a compliment."

Travis grinned. "Of course not."

**We sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.**

**After a few minutes, Annabeth fell into line next to me. "Look, I..." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."**

"Awwww, is Annie spilling her heart out?" Connor asked.

"Shut up." Annabeth muttered.

**"We're a team, right?"**

**She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that if you died ... aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."**

Nico snorted. "That's real nice."

"In my defence…I didn't know him well at all then." Annabeth defended herself.

"Ah, don't worry." Nico said. "I don't think any of us were too nice to him at first."

**The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind us, leaving us in almost total darkness. I couldn't see anything of Annabeth except a glint of her blond hair.**

**"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" I asked her.**

"That's a long time." Piper said amazed.

"Sounds…somewhat suffocating." Leo nodded.

"I've been at Camp Jupiter longer." Jason shrugged.

"But from you've said, it's bigger and has more people to interact with. Not to mention many more village type things and-" Annabeth acknowledged.

"We get it." Nico stopped her.

**"No ... only short field trips. My dad—"**

**"The history professor."**

**"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood **_**is **_**my home." She was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her.**

"I guess I did kind of feel that way." Annabeth realized.

"It must have been good to get it out then." Rachel smiled.

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed. "It was.

**"At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."**

**If I didn't know better, I could've sworn I heard doubt in her voice.**

"Damn," Annabeth muttered. "He heard that."

Every laughed.

**"You're pretty good with that knife," I said.**

**"You think so?"**

**"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."**

**I couldn't really see, but I thought she might've smiled.**

"He really does notice the small details." Thalia laughed.

"Makes you wonder how he can miss the big picture." Nico said jokingly.

**"You know," she said, "maybe I should tell you ... Something funny back on the bus ..."**

**Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by a shrill **_**toot-toot-toot, **_**like the sound of an owl being tortured.**

"Who would torture an owl?" Grover gasped.

Annabeth laughed, knowing what the sound was.

**"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried.**

"Hey!" Grover cried.

Connor laughed. "Grover, can you demonstrate the sounds of an owl being tortured for me?"

"It would increase our nature knowledge." Travis added.

Grover huffed and looked pointedly at Annabeth.

**"If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!"**

**He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff.**

**Instead of finding a path, I immediately slammed into a tree and got a nice-size knot on my head.**

There was laughter and snorts all around.

"Okay, who snorted?" Nico asked.

Rachel laughed again and a snort escaped. She put a hand to her mouth. "Opps!"

**Add to the list of superpowers I did **_**not **_**have: infrared vision.**

**After tripping and cursing and generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, I started to see light up ahead: the colors of a neon sign. I could smell food. Fried, greasy, excellent food.**

"Dude, you're making me crave a double cheeseburger!" Travis groaned.

"I want more junk food!" Leo chanted.

Junk food, junk food, junk food!" The Stolls and Leo shouted together.

"Shut up!" Piper rolled her eyes.

**I realized I hadn't eaten anything unhealthy since I'd arrived at Half-Blood Hill, where we lived on grapes, bread, cheese, and extra-lean-cut nymph-prepared barbecue. This boy needed a double cheeseburger.**

"It's even worse now!" Travis complained. There was a bright light and a double cheese burger fell from the sky. "OMG! Free food!"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "It appears out of nowhere and all you think is 'free food'?"

Travis nodded, his mouth full. Everyone had envious looks on their faces and wondered where the hades it had come from.

"Moving on." Thalia said.

**We kept walking until I saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 1990s movie, and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.**

"I like neon." Connor said. "It's so neony."

"Only you, would say neony." Piper laughed.

"And I am very proud." Connor nodded.

**It wasn't a fast-food restaurant like I'd hoped. It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff like that. The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. **

"Sounds…interesting…" Leo said.

"Nope, sounds downright creepy." Jason decided. He figured there would be a monster attack or something close to it soon.

**The neon sign above the gate was impossible for me to read, because if there's anything worse for my dyslexia than regular English, it's red cursive neon English.**

**To me, it looked like: **_**ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM.**_

"What did you just say?" Rachel asked Annabeth. "What's that supposed to be?"

"That's how Percy saw it." She defended. "I'm just saying it as it is."

**"What the heck does that say?" I asked.**

**"I don't know," Annabeth said.**

**She loved reading so much, I'd forgotten she was dyslexic, too.**

"Hey, so had I!" Connor exclaimed.

Travis grinned wickedly. "Oh how fun!"

"Don't you dare." Annabeth muttered.

**Grover translated: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."**

**Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken.**

Jason's eyebrows scrunched together. Something about that seemed very familiar but he couldn't put a finger on it. Meanwhile, Grover and Annabeth's faces had clouded over.

**I crossed the street, following the smell of the hamburgers.**

**"Hey ..." Grover warned.**

**"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."**

**"Snack bar," I said wistfully.**

**"Snack bar," she agreed.**

"If only." Leo sighed wistfully.

"Dude, just build one when we finish these books. I know you could." Connor's eyes light up.

"That would be EPIC!" Travis shouted.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and kept reading.

**"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird."**

**We ignored him.**

**The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps.**

"I wonder why." Grover muttered.

"You got something to say, Goat Boy?" Thalia laughed.

"Not at all."

_**"Bla-ha-ha!" **_**he bleated. ****"Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"**

**We stopped at the warehouse door.**

**"Don't knock," Grover pleaded. "I smell monsters."**

**"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him.**

Grover his mouth to speak but Annabeth put her hand up. "Don't say 'I told you so'. And technically, it kind of was. Plus, her food had, like, this magical aroma or something."

Grover smirked. "I wasn't going to say a thing."

**"All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"**

**"Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."**

**"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," I reminded him.**

"How are those of the meat category?" Piper laughed.

**"Those are vegetables. **

"Okay, how are those of the vegetable category?" Leo asked.

Everyone was grinning at Grover who muttered "Don't judge."

**Come on. Let's leave. These statues are ... looking at me**

**Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of us was a tall Middle Eastern woman—at least, I assumed she was Middle Eastern, because she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. **

Jason gasped. "It makes sense now."

"What does?" Leo asked.

"Who she is?" Jason answered.

Piper frowned. "And that would be who?"

"You'll see soon." Annabeth told her.

**Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was about all I could make out. Her coffee-colored hands looked old, but well-manicured and elegant, so I imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady.**

Thalia snorted. "Like father like son."

"Too true." Nico smirked.

**Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, too. She said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"**

**"They're ... um ..." Annabeth started to say.**

**"We're orphans," I said.**

"Oh, this should be good." Rachel laughed.

**"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"**

**"We got separated from our caravan," I said. "Our circus caravan.**

"Where is he going with this?" Piper wondered.

"Too far." Grover grinned.

**The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"**

"Straight to the point!" Travis said.

"More like straight to the food." Connor added.

"To food!" They cheered together.

**"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."**

**We thanked her and went inside.**

Jason snorted. "How did you guys not realize right away?"

Grover shrugged. "Blame the magic food."

**Annabeth muttered to me, "Circus caravan?"**

**"Always have a strategy, right?"**

**"Your head is full of kelp.""**

Everyone laughed at the familiar insult/tease.

**The warehouse was filled with more statues—people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. I was thinking you'd have to have a pretty huge garden to fit even one of these statues, because they were all life-size. But mostly, I was thinking about food.**

"As am I." Leo sighed.

"There's food on the table." Piper pointed. "Eat it, and stop complaining.

**Go ahead, call me an idiot for walking into a strange lady's shop like that just because I was hungry,** **but I do impulsive stuff sometimes. Plus, you've never smelled Aunty Em's burgers. The aroma was like laughing gas in the dentist's chair—it made everything else go away. **

"See," Annabeth reasoned. "It had to be magical."

"Yeah, but maybe Percy just has that whole guy/food thing going on." Thalia said.

"Excuse me?" All the guys in the room asked.

"Guys always seemed to be hungry." Thalia shrugged.

"I resent that." Grover told her.

"Whatever." She conceded.

**I barely noticed Grover's nervous whimpers, or the way the statues' eyes seemed to follow me, or the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind us.**

"She did?" Annabeth and Grover asked at the same time.

"Neither of you noticed?" Nico asked.

"Apparently not." Annabeth's brows furrowed.

**All I cared about was finding the dining area. And sure enough, there it was at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Everything you could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.**

"Nacho cheese dispenser!" Travis shouted.

"It's like a dream come true!" Connor said dreamily.

Thalia smirked. "Point taken."

**"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said.**

**"Awesome," I said.**

**"Um," Grover said reluctantly, "we don't have any money, ma'am."**

"Way to ruin the moment." Leo said.

"Way to ruin the food." Rachel sighed.

Everyone looked at her weirdly and she went "What?"

**Before I could jab him in the ribs, Aunty Em said, "No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."**

**"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said.**

**Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done something wrong, but then the old woman relaxed just as quickly, so I figured it must've been my imagination.**

"Nope, I noticed too." Annabeth said.

**"Quite all right, Annabeth," she said. "You have such beautiful gray eyes, child." Only later did I wonder how she knew Annabeth's name, even though we had never introduced ourselves.**

"Huh…creepy." Leo shook his head. "Who is this again?"

"You'll see." Nico said impatiently.

**Our hostess disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before we knew it, she'd brought us plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries.**

**I was halfway through my burger before I remembered to breathe.**

"I know how he feels." Connor nodded.

Someone's stomach growled. Piper smiled sheepishly and took some food from the table.

**Annabeth slurped her shake.**

**Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat.**

**"What's that hissing noise?" he asked.**

"Sna-" Jason tried but Thalia put a hand over his mouth.

Annabeth shook her head. "Don't spoil it. And no, it wasn't."

"Oh…sorry." Jason mumbled.

**I listened, but didn't hear anything. Annabeth shook her head.**

**"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."**

**"I take vitamins. For my ears."**

Everyone snorted and Grover blushed.

Travis appraised him. "Okay, you can little a _little_. But I still say you need lessons."

**"That's admirable," she said. "But please, relax."**

**Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her head dress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched us eat. It was a little unsettling, having someone stare at me when I couldn't see her face, **

"You think?" Nico asked sarcastically.

Leo shrugged. "Not all the time."

"You're weird, Leo." Rachel laughed.

"And proud of it." Leo smiled.

**but I was feeling satisfied after the burger, and a little sleepy, and I figured the least I could do was try to make small talk with our hostess.**

**"So, you sell gnomes," I said, trying to sound interested.**

"How did you guys make it out of this?" Jason wondered.

"With difficulty." Annabeth admitted.

"I'm not even going to ask." Piper shook he head.

**"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."**

**"A lot of business on this road?"**

**"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built... most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."**

"Including Uncle Ferdinand." Grover muttered.

Annabeth snorted but quickly covered it up when Grover stared at her.

**My neck tingled, as if somebody else was looking at me. I turned, but it was just a statue of a young girl holding an Easter basket. The detail was incredible, much better than you see in most garden statues.**

**But something was wrong with her face. It looked as if she were startled, or even terrified.**

"Oh!" Piper gasped. "I get it now…wow."

Leo groaned. "Well I don't."

**"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."**

**"You make these statues yourself?" I asked.**

"In more ways than you can imagine." Jason said.

"Ugghh." Piper shuddered.

**"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real that I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.**

**Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"**

"And Annabeth gets it." Rachel laughed.

"Of course." Thalia added.

**"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young.**

Nico snorted. "Yeah, that's what happened."

**I had a... a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."**

"You know, I still don't get that. How can monsters fade?" Connor asked.

"It's complicated." Thalia said.

Annabeth nodded. "Right. Very."

**I wasn't sure what she meant, but I felt bad for her. My eyelids kept getting heavier, my full stomach making me sleepy. Poor old lady. Who would want to hurt somebody so nice?**

"Me." Jason muttered. "And probably you."

"That food really is spiked." Travis said.

"Spiked?" Connor asked. "Really?"

**"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking me to get my attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting."**

**She sounded tense. I wasn't sure why. Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she didn't say anything.**

"Who wouldn't find that strange?" Rachel asked.

"Satyrs." Grover told her. "So namely, me."

**"Such beautiful gray eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen gray eyes like those."**

**She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.**

**"We really should go."**

"No Styx!" Nico said.

"Ugh, she almost touched." Piper grimaced.

**"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up. "The ringmaster is waiting! Right!"**

**I didn't want to leave. I felt full and content. Aunty Em was so nice. I wanted to stay with her a while.**

"So basically, Percy is to blame for getting you guys in that situation?" Jason laughed.

"In a way." Annabeth shrugged. "But he's also the reason we got out."

Thalia smiled. "True that."

**"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"**

**"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.**

**"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."**

"Except the camp director." Rachel shook her, laughing. "Ironic isn't it?"

"More like our misfortune." Nico said.

"He's okay at times." Annabeth told them.

**Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy—"**

**"Sure we can," I said.**

**I was irritated with Annabeth for being so bossy, so rude to an old lady who'd just fed us for free. "It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"**

"There is plenty of harm!" Piper exclaimed.

"He still hadn't figured it out yet." Grover mumbled.

"He will soon." Jason said.

**"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm."**

**I could tell Annabeth didn't like it, but she allowed Aunty Em to lead us back out the front door, into the garden of statues.**

"I think we should get a statue for the Hermes cabin." Travis suggested.

Connor grinned. "Totally. It could be this giant beaver with-"

"Moving on." Thalia cut in.

**Aunty Em directed us to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now," she said, "I'll just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side."**

**"Not much light for a photo," I remarked.**

"There is something called the flash." Nico laughed.

"Would you be thinking about that in a situation like this?" Thalia asked he cousin.

Nico scowled. "…no."

"Then shut up." Thalia said.

"Geez, I was just joking." Nico rolled his eyes.

**"Oh, enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"**

**"Where's your camera?" Grover asked.**

**Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"**

"Yes, smile big." Connor held up his and pretended to take pictures.

Travis hit him in the shoulder. "Not the time dude."

**Grover glanced at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."**

**"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way, dear."**

**She still had no camera in her hands.**

**"Percy—" Annabeth said.**

"I still have no idea how you guys got out of this." Piper shook her head.

"My nose." Grover exclaimed.

"…"

"Nevermind." Grover frowned.

**Some instinct warned me to listen to Annabeth, but I was fighting the sleepy feeling, the comfortable lull that came from the food and the old lady's voice.**

**"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil..."**

**"Percy, something's wrong," Annabeth insisted.**

"Nope, everything is dandy." Connor grinned.

"What did I just tell you?" Travis asked.

**"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"**

**"That **_**is **_**Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.**

"Whoa!" Leo gasped. "What?"

"At least he wasn't eaten by Polyphemus." Grover said glumly.

"Hmm, never thought of that." Annabeth mused.

"What?" A few people asked.

**"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She whipped her Yankees cap onto her head and vanished. Her invisible hands pushed Grover and me both off the bench.**

**I was on the ground, looking at Aunt Em's sandaled feet.**

"Good move." Jason nodded.

"Why thank you." Annabeth smiled.

**I could hear Grover scrambling off in one direction, Annabeth in another. But I was too dazed to move.**

**Then I heard a strange, rasping sound above me. My eyes rose to Aunty Em's hands, which had turned gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons for fingernails.**

"She has talons?" Piper asked.

"Apparently." Rachel said.

**I almost looked higher, but somewhere off to my left Annabeth screamed, "No! Don't!"**

**More rasping—the sound of tiny snakes, right above me, from ... from about where Aunty Em's head would be.**

"Hate snakes." Travis muttered.

"Slimy little things." Rachel agreed.

**"Run!" Grover bleated. I heard him racing across the gravel, yelling, **_**"Maia!" **_**to kick-start his flying sneakers.**

**I couldn't move. I stared at Aunty Em's gnarled claws, and tried to fight the groggy trance the old woman had put me in.**

"Stupid food." Annabeth muttered. "Good thing we didn't have more of it."

"You got that right." Nico nodded.

**"Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face," she told me soothingly. "Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up."**

**I fought the urge to obey. Instead I looked to one side and saw one of those glass spheres people put in gardens— a gazing ball. **

"Hmmm." Jason thought.

"Yup." Annabeth said.

**I could see Aunty Em's dark reflection in the orange glass; her headdress was gone, revealing her face as a shimmering pale circle. Her hair was moving, writhing like serpents.**

**Aunty Em.**

**Aunty "M."**

**How could I have been so stupid?**

"I don't know." Thalia agreed as everyone laughed.

"Oh!" Leo exclaimed. "I get it too."

Thalia face-palmed.

**Think, I told myself. How did Medusa die in the myth?**

**But I couldn't think. Something told me that in the myth Medusa had been asleep when she was attacked by my namesake, Perseus. She wasn't anywhere near asleep now. If she wanted, she could take those talons right now and rake open my face.**

"I guess it helped, him being the son of Poseidon and all." Jason realized.

"Yeah, it did." Grover agreed.

**"The Gray-Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said, and she didn't sound anything like a monster. Her voice invited me to look up, to sympathize with a poor old grandmother. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."**

**"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted, somewhere in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"**

"Percy's lucky he had Annabeth." Rachel smiled.

"And not just here. Many times and places and situations." Thalia nodded.

Annabeth smiled, thinking of all of the good times.

**"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."**

**"No," I muttered. I tried to make my legs move.**

Everyone was on edge. They knew all three of them would get out of this, but it didn't make them less nervous. Meanwhile, Grover and Annabeth were thinking how weird it was going through this in Percy's perspective.

**"Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."**

Annabeth snorted. "And she thinks that happened there was bad. Try anything that happened later on I his life."

**"Percy!" Behind me, I heard a buzzing sound, like a two-hundred-pound hummingbird in a nosedive. Grover yelled, "Duck!"**

"Go Grover!" Connor and Travis cheered.

"You hit that monster!" Leo added.

**I turned, and there he was in the night sky, flying in from twelve o'clock with his winged shoes fluttering, Grover, holding a tree branch the size of a baseball bat. His eyes were shut tight, his head twitched from side to side. He was navigating by ears and nose alone.**

**"Duck!" he yelled again. "I'll get her!"**

"Oh this should be good." Thalia grinned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grover asked.

"Nothing at all."

**That finally jolted me into action. Knowing Grover, I was sure he'd miss Medusa and nail me.**

"Hey!" Grover yelled as everyone snickered.

**I dove to one side.**

_**Thwack!**_

**At first I figured it was the sound of Grover hitting a tree. Then Medusa roared with rage.**

**"You miserable satyr," she snarled. "I'll add you to my collection!"**

"Cause that's gonna happen." Nico said sarcastically.

"You got that right." Grover agreed.

**"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back.**

**I scrambled away and hid in the statuary while Grover swooped down for another pass.**

_**Ker-whack!**_

**"Arrgh!" Medusa yelled, her snake-hair hissing and spit ting.**

**Right next to me, Annabeth's voice said, "Percy!"**

"Bet that scared him." Piper laughed.

"Bet he screamed." Nico bet.

"Bet he didn't," Leo said.

Annabeth grinned.

**I jumped so high my feet nearly cleared a garden gnome. "Jeez! Don't do that!"**

"Ha!" Leo pointed at Nico. "He didn't scream. Give me that drachma."

"We didn't actually come to a deal." Nico frowned.

"So?" Leo asked.

**Annabeth took off her Yankees cap and became visible. 'You have to cut her head off."**

**"What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here."**

**"Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but..." Annabeth swallowed, as if she were about to make a difficult admission. **

Everyone laughed. Annabeth grumbled something about not believing that he noticed that.

**"But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You—you've got a chance."**

**"What? I can't—"**

**"Look, do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?"**

"Good idea, hit his weakness there." Thalia nodded.

"And I didn't even know it at the time." Annabeth smiled.

**She pointed to a pair of statue lovers, a man and a woman with their arms around each other, turned to stone by the monster.**

"That so sad." Piper muttered.

**Annabeth grabbed a green gazing ball from a nearby pedestal. "A polished shield would be better." She studied the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflection's size should be off by a factor of—"**

**"Would you speak English?"**

"Agreed." Nico grinned.

"I was!" Annabeth exclaimed.

**"I **_**am!" **_**She tossed me the glass ball.**

**"Just look at her in the glass. **_**Never **_**look at her directly."**

**"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled somewhere above us. "I think she's unconscious!"**

_**"Roooaaarrr!"**_

"Roooaaarrr!" Travis yelled.

"Rooooaaaarrrr!" Connor shouted. "Ha, mine was louder."

"Was not." Travis argued.

"Was."

"Wasn't."

"Was."

"Shut up!" Piper shouted.

**"Maybe not," Grover corrected. He went in for another pass with the tree branch.**

**"Hurry," Annabeth told me. "Grover's got a great nose, but he'll eventually crash."**

**I took out my pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade of Riptide elongated in my hand.**

**I followed the hissing and spitting sounds of Medusa's hair.**

"Using the ears." Connor sang.

Everyone looked at him strange.

"What?"

**I kept my eyes locked on the gazing ball so I would only glimpse Medusa's reflection, not the real thing. Then, in the green tinted glass, I saw her.**

**Grover was coming in for another turn at bat, but this time he flew a little too low. **

"Uh oh." Rachel said.

"Uh oh is right." Grover nodded.

**Medusa grabbed the stick and pulled him off course. He tumbled through the air and crashed into the arms of a stone grizzly bear with a painful "Ummphh!"**

**Medusa was about to lunge at him when I yelled, "Hey!"**

"Thank you Percy." Grover thanked the book.

"Please don't talk to the book." Jason said. "It's just weird."

**I advanced on her, which wasn't easy, holding a sword and a glass ball. If she charged, I'd have a hard time defending myself.**

**But she let me approach—twenty feet, ten feet.**

Go Percy, go Percy, go Percy." Everyone chanted.

**I could see the reflection of her face now. Surely it wasn't really **_**that **_**ugly. The green swirls of the gazing ball must be distorting it, making it look worse.**

Yeah, right." Piper snorted.

**"You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy," she crooned. "I know you wouldn't."**

**I hesitated, fascinated by the face I saw reflected in the glass—the eyes that seemed to burn straight through the green tint, making my arms go weak.**

"Hmmmm, even reflected it has an effect." Annabeth murmered.

"Here we go." Nico joked.

**From the cement grizzly, Grover moaned, "Percy, don't listen to her!"**

**Medusa cackled. "Too late."**

**She lunged at me with her talons.**

**I slashed up with my sword, heard a sickening **_**shlock!,**_** then a hiss like wind rushing out of a cavern—the sound of a monster disintegrating.**

Everyone cheered.

"Whoo Percy, whoo Percy, whoo Percy!" Connor, Travis, and Leo whooped.

**Something fell to the ground next to my foot. It took all my willpower not to look. I could feel warm ooze soaking into my sock, little dying snake heads tugging at my shoelaces.**

"Eww." Piper grimaced.

"That is nasty." Rachel agreed.

**"Oh, yuck," Grover said. His eyes were still tightly closed, but I guess he could hear the thing gurgling and steaming. "Mega-yuck."**

"That's even worse." Thalia exclaimed.

Everyone shuddered a bit.

**Annabeth came up next to me, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding Medusa's black veil. She said, "Don't move."**

**Very, very carefully, without looking down, she knelt and draped the monster's head in black cloth, then picked it up. It was still dripping green juice.**

"Is he trying to make me barf?" Rachel asked.

"No, but I could." Leo suggested.

**"Are you okay?" she asked me, her voice trembling.**

**"Yeah," I decided, though I felt like throwing up my double cheeseburger. "Why didn't ... why didn't the head evaporate?"**

**"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."**

Annabeth suddenly grinned, remembering what he did with the head.

"What're you so happy about?" Jason asked.

"You'll see."

**Grover moaned as he climbed down from the grizzly statue. He had a big welt on his forehead. His green rasta cap hung from one of his little goat horns, and his fake feet had been knocked off his hooves. The magic sneakers were flying aimlessly around his head.**

**"The Red Baron," I said. "Good job, man."**

"Ya, good job!" Travis slapped his back.

"Thanks…I think." Grover said.

**He managed a bashful grin. "That really was **_**not **_**fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? **_**Not **_**fun."**

"Lol," Connor laughed.

"What is it with you today?" Travis asked.

"What would you mean be that?"

"…"

**He snatched his shoes out of the air. I recapped my sword. Together, the three of us stumbled back to the ware house.**

**We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa's head. We plopped it on the table where we'd eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.**

"Hearing about it made me tired." Rachel said.

"You just slept for, like, 8 hours." Nico pointed out.

"Shut it."

**Finally I said, "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?"**

**Annabeth flashed me an irritated look. "Your dad, actually. Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girl friend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."**

"He does look remarkably like Poseidon." Thalia shrugged.

"Just like Annabeth and Athena." Nico added.

Connor and Travis grinned evilly.

"Uh oh." Leo muttered, looking at them.

**My face was burning. "Oh, so now it's **_**my **_**fault we met Medusa."**

**Annabeth straightened. In a bad imitation of my voice, she said: "'It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?'"**

"It wasn't that bad." Annabeth mumbled.

Grover snorted.

**"Forget it," I said. "You're impossible."**

**"You're insufferable."**

**"You're—"**

**"Hey!" Grover interrupted. "You two are giving me a migraine, and satyrs don't even **_**get **_**migraines. What are we going to do with the head?"**

"I bet I could change that." Connor said.

"Nooo!" Grover yelled.

**I stared at the thing. One little snake was hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said: WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!**

"We really do!" Travis shouted.

Piper shook her head.

**I was angry, not just with Annabeth or her mom, but with all the gods for this whole quest, for getting us blown off the road and in two major fights the very first day out from camp. At this rate, we'd never make it to L.A. alive, much less before the summer solstice.**

"Doesn't help that we were out of commission for 5 days." Annabeth murmered.

"Umm, what?" Rachel asked.

"Nothing."

**What had Medusa said?**

_**Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue.**_

**I got up. "I'll be back."**

Nico grinned. "This should be good."

"It is." Grover laughed.

**"Percy," Annabeth called after me. "What are you—"**

**I searched the back of the warehouse until I found Medusa's office. Her account book showed her six most recent sales, all shipments to the Underworld to decorate Hades and Persephone's garden. According to one freight bill, the Underworld's billing address was DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. I folded up the bill and stuffed it in my pocket.**

"That was a good idea." Jason noted.

"Didn't help that much though." Annabeth said reluctantly.

**In the cash register I found twenty dollars, a few golden drachmas, and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins. I rummaged around the rest of the office until I found the right-size box.**

"He did not!" Thalia exclaimed.

"He did!" Annabeth said

"Hahaha!"

**I went back to the picnic table, packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip:**

_**The Gods**_

_**Mount**__**Olympus**_

_**600th Floor,**_

_**Empire**__**State Building**_

_**New York, NY**_

_**With best wishes,**_

_**PERCY JACKSON**_

"How is he not dead?" Jason laughed.

"We have absolutely no idea." Rachel shrugged.

Everyone agreed.

**"They're not going to like that," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."**

"He is impertinent." Nico said.

Annabeth snorted.

**I poured some golden drachmas in the pouch. As soon as I closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a **_**pop!**_

**"I **_**am **_**impertinent," I said.**

"Cousin like cousin." Thalia grinned.

"He agrees!" Nico laughed.

**I looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticize.**

**She didn't. She seemed resigned to the fact that I had a major talent for ticking off the gods. "Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."**

"That's the end of the chapter." Annabeth said, putting down the book.

"I'll go next," Thalia said.

**There you have it! What'd you think? Good? Bad? Okay? Remember, review!**

**Okay, now for the results of that question. There were quite a few people who couldn't decide between more than one character, so I'll just count them all.**

**Ella: 8**

**Hazel: 5**

**Reyna: 4**

**Frank: 2**

**Octavian: 1**

**Dakota: 2 **

**Terminus: 1**

**I'm going to delete the author's note thing, there's no point in it being there.**

**Hmmm, another question. What is your favourite book in either the PJO series or the HoO series?**

**Answer and I'll post the results again. And remember Review!**

**Au revoir!**

**~Sid-Niols**


	14. Chapter 14: We Get Advice From a Poodle

**Hello, hello! How are you all? Happy late Halloween! Candy for everyone! … So yeah, here's the next chapter. And thanks for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like a middle-aged/whatever age male to you? Yeah NO! I do not own PJO or HoO.**

"Okay," Thalia said, picking up the book. "Here we go."

**We Get Advice from a Poodle**

"I hate poodles." Nico frowned. "They are the meanest dogs alive."

Grover sniffed. "Gladiola was a perfect gentleman."

Jason stifled a laugh while Connor, Leo, and Travis had a full-on hysterical fit.

"Gladiola?" Rachel smiled. "Seriously?"

"And what is wrong with that?" Grover asked.

"So many things." Nico chuckled.

Grover was about to go on a rampage as Annabeth stepped in. "We're all entitled to our different opinions. Alright?"

"Fine," they both muttered and sat back down.

Once the guys managed to calm themselves down and stop laughing, Thalia rolled her eyes and continued.

**We were pretty miserable that night.**

"No Styx, Sherlock." Thalia said.

**We camped out in the woods, a hundred yards from the main road, in a marshy clearing that local kids had obviously been using for parties.**

**The ground was littered with flattened soda cans and fast-food wrappers.**

Grover sniffed. "So sad!"

"Don't start crying, Goat man." Connor warned.

Travis nodded. "Man up!"

"But-" Grover stuttered.

"No!" Everyone shouted.

**We'd taken some food and blankets from Aunty Em's, but we didn't dare light a fire to dry our damp clothes. The Furies and Medusa had provided enough excitement for one day. We didn't want to attract anything else.**

**We decided to sleep in shifts. I volunteered to take first watch.**

"Bet that worked out real swell." Nico joked.

"Oh, it was fine." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Well, he didn't actually-" Grover started. "Nevermind."

**Annabeth curled up on the blankets and was snoring as soon as her head hit the ground. Grover fluttered with his flying shoes to the lowest bough of a tree, put his back to the trunk, and stared at the night sky.**

**"Go ahead and sleep," I told him. "I'll wake you if there's trouble."**

**He nodded, but still didn't close his eyes. "It makes me sad, Percy."**

"Here we go," Travis sighed.

"One of these days you'll notice how important the wild is." Grover frowned.

"We'll see about that." Connor snorted.

**"What does? The fact that you signed up for this stupid quest?"**

**"No. **_**This **_**makes me sad." He pointed at all the garbage on the ground. "And the sky. You can't even see the stars. They've polluted the sky. This is a terrible time to be a satyr."**

"Yeah, who would want hooves?" Leo laughed quietly, to the amusement of Jason and Piper.

**"Oh, yeah. I guess you'd be an environmentalist."**

**He glared at me. "Only a human wouldn't be. Your species is clogging up the world so fast **

"I detest that." Rachel said. "Not all humans are."

"Okay, whatever helps you sleep at night." Grover waved his hand.

Connor snickered.

**... ah, never mind. It's useless to lecture a human. At the rate things are going, I'll never find Pan."**

**"Pam? Like the cooking spray?"**

Everyone but Grover burst out laughing.

"I still have no idea what Pam is…" Grover muttered.

This just caused everyone to laugh harder.

**"Pan!" he cried indignantly. "P-A-N. The great god Pan! What do you think I want a searcher's license for?"**

"I know!" Travis exclaimed.

"Do you now?" Grover asked.

"Yes! You want to search for someone who could take away those hooves." Travis smiled proudly.

Grover silently fumed. "There is nothing wrong with having hooves!"

**A strange breeze rustled through the clearing, temporarily overpowering the stink of trash and muck. It brought the smell of berries and wildflowers and clean rain water, things that might've once been in these woods. Suddenly I was nostalgic for something I'd never known.**

"Wow." Piper murmured. "If only the world was like that today."

"Yeah…" Rachel agreed.

**"Tell me about the search," I said.**

**Grover looked at me cautiously, as if he were afraid I was just making fun.**

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at Grover.

"What?" Grover shrugged. "It looked like he was."

**"The God of Wild Places disappeared two thousand years ago," he told me. "A sailor off the coast of Ephesos heard a mysterious voice crying out from the shore, 'Tell them that the great god Pan has died!' When humans heard the news, they believed it. They've been pillaging Pan's kingdom ever since. **

"Something tells me it started before then." Rachel muttered so no one else could hear.

**But for the satyrs, Pan was our lord and master. He protected us and the wild places of the earth. We refuse to believe that he died. In every generation, the bravest satyrs pledge their lives to finding Pan. They search the earth, exploring all the wildest places, hoping to find where he is hidden, and wake him from his sleep."**

"That sounds tough." Jason acknowledged. "Especially how Fauns are."

"Excuse me?" Grover asked.

"I meant fauns, not satyrs. All fauns do is beg for money." Jason laughed, remembering something. "Particularly Don."

"Don the faun?" Annabeth asked.

"Yup."

**"And you want to be a searcher."**

**"It's my life's dream," he said. "My father was a searcher. And my Uncle Ferdinand ... the statue you saw back there—"**

"Ugh," Piper shuddered. "So creepy."

**"Oh, right, sorry."**

**Grover shook his head. "Uncle Ferdinand knew the risks. So did my dad. But I'll succeed. I'll be the first searcher to return alive."**

"Wait, what?" Leo asked.

"You heard me." Grover said.

**"Hang on—**_**the first?"**_

**Grover took his reed pipes out of his pocket. "No searcher has ever come back. Once they set out, they disappear. They're never seen alive again."**

"And you still want to go?" Leo asked.

"Well, no reason to go anymore." Grover said sadly.

"Oh, right."

**"Not once in two thousand years?"**

**"No."**

**"And your dad? You have no idea what happened to him?"**

**"None."**

**"But you still want to go," I said, amazed. **

"Percy and I think alike." Leo laughed.

"Oh boy…this isn't good." Thalia chuckled.

"Hey!"

**"I mean, you really think you'll be the one to find Pan?"**

**"I have to believe that, Percy. Every searcher does. It's the only thing that keeps us from despair when we look at what humans have done to the world. I have to believe Pan can still be awakened."**

"That's a good way of thinking." Jason smiled.

"Thanks." Grover nodded.

**I stared at the orange haze of the sky and tried to understand how Grover could pursue a dream that seemed so hopeless. Then again, was I any better?**

**"How are we going to get into the Underworld?" I asked him. "I mean, what chance do we have against a god?"**

"Well," Nico reasoned. "Since your Percy…a good chance."

"Hear hear." Travis laughed.

**"I don't know," he admitted. "But back at Medusa's, when you were searching her office? Annabeth was telling me—"**

**"Oh, I forgot. Annabeth will have a plan all figured out."**

Annabeth muttered something unintelligible.

"What's that, Sweetie?" Connor asked, laughing.

"Oh shut up."

**"Don't be so hard on her, Percy. She's had a tough life, but she's a good person. After all, she forgave me..." His voice faltered.**

**"What do you mean?" I asked. "Forgave you for what?"**

Thalia and Annabeth grimaced.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Grover." Thalia said.

"It's a talent." Grover sighed glumly.

**Suddenly, Grover seemed very interested in playing notes on his pipes.**

**"Wait a minute," I said. "Your first keeper job was five years ago. Annabeth has been at camp five years. She wasn't ... I mean, your first assignment that went wrong—"**

"He actually got it pretty quick." Nico laughed.

"To that he did." Rachel agreed.

**"I can't talk about it," Grover said, and his quivering lower lip suggested he'd start crying if I pressed him. "But as I was saying, back at Medusa's, Annabeth and I agreed there's something strange going on with this quest. Something isn't what it seems."**

"Something isn't as it seems for all quests." Jason muttered.

"Too true." Annabeth nodded.

**"Well, duh. I'm getting blamed for stealing a thunder bolt that Hades took."**

**"That's not what I mean," Grover said. "The Fur—The Kindly Ones were sort of holding back. Like Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy ... why did she wait so long to try to kill you? Then on the bus, they just weren't as aggressive as they could've been."**

"I thought that they didn't seem very aggressive." Thalia said.

Good for you." Travis patted her on the back.

"And now you get an award for it." Connor grinned.

"Don't touch me." Thalia hit them each in the shoulder.

**"They seemed plenty aggressive to me."**

**Grover shook his head. "They were screeching at us: 'Where is it? Where?'"**

**"Asking about me," I said.**

"Unfortunately…or fortunately, not." Jason sighed.

"Lets go with unfortunately." Annabeth snorted.

**"Maybe ... but Annabeth and I, we both got the feeling they weren't asking about a person. They said 'Where is **_**it**_**?' They seemed to be asking about an object."**

**"That doesn't make sense."**

"Life doesn't make sense." Leo said.

"You don't make sense." Piper laughed.

"You know it." Leo grinned.

**"I know. But if we've misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the master bolt..." He looked at me like he was hoping for answers, but I didn't have any.**

"Nine days is still a lot for a quest." Piper complained.

Annabeth shook her head. "Remember…we didn't actually get nine days."

"Right." Piper nodded.

**I thought about what Medusa had said: I was being used by the gods. What lay ahead of me was worse than petrification. "I haven't been straight with you," I told Grover. "I don't care about the master bolt. I agreed to go to the Underworld so I could bring back my mother."**

"Oh I can't wait to see how this goes over." Jason shook his head.

"Me too." Nico grinned. "I was still in that hotel at this time."

"What?" Jason asked, confused.

"Oh nothing."

**Grover blew a soft note on his pipes. "I know that, Percy. But are you sure that's the only reason?"**

**"I'm not doing it to help my father. He doesn't care about me. I don't care about him."**

"Oh the resentment of a demigod." Rachel sighed.

Annabeth snorted. "Oh the resentment of any living thing."

**Grover gazed down from his tree branch. "Look, Percy, I'm not as smart as Annabeth. I'm not as brave as you. But I'm pretty good at reading emotions. You're glad your dad is alive. You feel good that he's claimed you, and part of you wants to make him proud. That's why you mailed Medusa's head to Olympus. You wanted him to notice what you'd done."**

"You could feel all of that?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Grover nodded.

"Wow."

**"Yeah? Well maybe satyr emotions work differently than human emotions. Because you're wrong. I don't care what he thinks."**

**Grover pulled his feet up onto the branch. "Okay, Percy. Whatever."**

"I agree." Annabeth said. "And I can't believe that I slept through that whole conversation."

"Believe it." Grove grinned.

**"Besides, I haven't done anything worth bragging about. We barely got out of New York and we're stuck here with no money and no way west."**

**Grover looked at the night sky, like he was thinking about that problem. "How about **_**I**_** take first watch, huh? You get some sleep."**

"Yeah, and the conversation." Travis agreed. "I want some more action."

"It slows down for a bit here." Annabeth said.

"Damn." He sighed.

**I wanted to protest, but he started to play Mozart, soft and sweet, and I turned away, my eyes stinging. After a few bars of Piano Concerto no. 12, I was asleep.**

**In my dreams, I stood in a dark cavern before a gaping pit.**

"Oh boy…" Jason said.

Leo snorted. "He goes from soft music to HUGE GAPING PIT!"

"Calm down, Valdez." Piper laughed.

**Gray mist creatures churned all around me, whispering rags of smoke that I somehow knew were the spirits of the dead.**

**They tugged at my clothes, trying to pull me back, but I felt compelled to walk forward to the very edge of the chasm.**

"Not a good idea." Nico warned.

"You think?" Thalia laughed.

**Looking down made me dizzy.**

**The pit yawned so wide and was so completely black, I knew it must be bottomless. Yet I had a feeling that something was trying to rise from the abyss, something huge and evil.**

"So he dreamed about this and didn't tell us?" Grover asked.

"I think he did…" Annabeth's eyebrows scrunched together. "I can't remember."

"Whatever."

_**The little hero, **_**an amused voice echoed far down in the darkness. **_**Too weak, too young, but**__**perhaps you will do.**_

**The voice felt ancient—cold and heavy. It wrapped around me like sheets of lead.**

Everyone shivered.

_**They have misled you, boy, **_**it said. **_**Barter with me.**__**I will give you what you want.**_

**A shimmering image hovered over the void: my mother, frozen at the moment she'd dissolved in a shower of gold. **

"That would have been hard." Piper said sadly.

"Very." Leo agreed, thinking of his mom.

**Her face was distorted with pain, as if the Minotaur were still squeezing her neck. Her eyes looked directly at me, pleading: **_**Go!**_

"Great image to see in your dreams." Jason muttered.

"More like a nightmare." Thalia noted.

**I tried to cry out, but my voice wouldn't work.**

**Cold laughter echoed from the chasm.**

**An invisible force pulled me forward. It would drag me into the pit unless I stood firm.**

"That is not good, not at all." Piper shook her head.

Annabeth sat there with wide eyes.

_**Help me rise, boy. **_**The voice became hungrier. **_**Bring me the bolt. Strike a blow against the treacherous gods!**_

**The spirits of the dead whispered around me, **_**No! Wake!**_

"Now that surprises me." Nico frowned.

"What does?" Rachel asked.

"That the dead were actually trying to help him." Nico answered.

"Hmm, true."

**The image of my mother began to fade. The thing in the pit tightened its unseen grip around me.**

**I realized it wasn't interested in pulling me in. It was using me to pull itself **_**out.**_

_**Good, **_**it murmured. **_**Good.**_

"Not good, not good." Travis muttered.

_**Wake! **_**the dead whispered. **_**Wake!**_

**Someone was shaking me.**

**My eyes opened, and it was daylight.**

"Ah, sweet daylight." Leo sighed.

"Sweet daylight?" Piper laughed.

"You betcha." Leo nodded.

**"Well," Annabeth said, "the zombie lives."**

**I was trembling from the dream. I could still feel the grip of the chasm monster around my chest. "How long was I asleep?"**

"Long enough for he to cook breakfast probably." Rachel grinned.

Thalia snorted, reading the next sentence.

**"Long enough for me to cook breakfast." **

Rachel and Annabeth laughed with each other.

**Annabeth tossed me a bag of nacho-flavored corn chips from Aunty Em's snack bar. "And Grover went exploring. Look, he found a friend."**

"Oh boy…" Jason mumbled.

"You got that right." Annabeth chuckled.

**My eyes had trouble focusing.**

**Grover was sitting cross-legged on a blanket with something fuzzy in his lap, a dirty, unnaturally pink stuffed animal.**

**No. It wasn't a stuffed animal. It was a pink poodle.**

"He thought it was a stuffed animal?" Grover raised his eyebrows as everyone laughed.

"It kind of did." Annabeth snickered.

"It did not." Grover said.

"You just keep believing that." Annabeth winked.

**The poodle yapped at me suspiciously. Grover said, "No, he's not."**

**I blinked. "Are you ... talking to that thing?"**

**The poodle growled.**

"Grr!" Travis growled. "I'm an insulted poodle. I'm going to eat you for breakfast!"

"No dude…just no." Connor shook his head.

**"This **_**thing**_**," Grover warned, "is our ticket west. Be nice to him."**

**"You can talk to animals?"**

**Grover ignored the question. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."**

"So this is the famous Gladiola?" Jason asked.

"The perfect gentleman?" Piper added.

"Humans." Grover muttered.

**I stared at Annabeth, figuring she'd crack up at this practical joke they were playing on me, but she looked deadly serious.**

**"I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle," I said. "Forget it."**

"It's so very manly though." Connor grinned.

"Yes Percy, you must do it." Travis agreed.

Grover rolled his eyes.

**"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."**

**The poodle growled.**

**I said hello to the poodle.**

Everyone laughed quietly.

Travis chuckled. "So menacing."

**Grover explained that he'd come across Gladiola in the woods and they'd struck up a conversation. The poodle had run away from a rich local family, who'd posted a $200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn't really want to go back to his family,**

**but he was willing to if it meant helping Grover.**

"I find that story hard to believe." Leo said.

"Why?" Grover asked.

"Only $200? From a rick family? And a pink poodle? I don't know, the price seems low."

**"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" I asked.**

**"He read the signs," Grover said. "Duh."**

**"Of course," I said. "Silly me."**

"Yes Percy, silly you." Travis laughed. "All animals can read!"

"That is not true." Grover said.

"Really?"

"Yes, worms do not talk."

Everyone laughed.

**"So we turn in Gladiola," Annabeth explained in her best strategy voice, "we get money, and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple."**

**I thought about my dream—the whispering voices of the dead, the thing in the chasm, and my mother's face, shimmering as it dissolved into gold. All that might be waiting for me in the West.**

"Lovely thought, isn't it?" Leo snorted.

"Just so very lovely!" Connor smiled.

**"Not another bus," I said warily.**

**"No," Annabeth agreed.**

**She pointed downhill, toward train tracks I hadn't been able to see last night in the dark. "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the west bound train leaves at noon."**

"What, does Gladiola know that too?" Jason grinned.

Grover huffed. "You guys are not animal lovers."

"Doesn't matter what we are." Thalia said, putting down the book. "Chapter's over."

"I'll go next. "Jason said.

**There you have it! It's short, I know. But it's still a chapter is it not? Anways, what'd you guys think? Let me know…review! I'll post…within the week, probably.**

**~Sid-Nilos**


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